Hangman's Noose
by doodlegirll
Summary: Judgment day had finally caught up to Flynn Rider, and he couldn't be more terrified. Rapunzel saved him once, but this time, he's not so sure magic glowing hair or tears are going to be able to save him from the gallows... Flynn/Rapunzel
1. Blank

**I wrote it because the plot bunnies are rabid. :D And because Flynn is still amazing.**

**...although, I must say, my boyfriend's smolder is much better than his. (Shhh! Don't tell him!)**

**Also, I'd like to thank EVERYONE who reviewed my last Tangled fic! The feedback was tremendous, and definitely not something I saw coming! Thank you all so much! **

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing but a Flynn Rider Barbie doll and a cast-iron frying pan that my best friend got me for Christmas. -hugs-**_

* * *

**Hangman's Noose**

A "Tangled" two-shot

_by doodlegirll_

...oOo...

There was not a sound to be heard for miles around except the _click click click_s of the soldier's boots on the cobblestones beneath their feet, and the soft rattle of keys at one man's belt. He supposed he could count the thundering beat of his heart in his chest and the pounding of blood in his ears as definitely a sound, because to Flynn, it seemed that it was deafening, bouncing off the stone walls around him as he was marched down the corridor of the prison towards the outside, where he would then be taken before the King and Queen of the kingdom. Outside these prison walls and bars, his fate awaited him.

Judgement day had finally caught up to Flynn Rider.

And as far as he could tell, it wasn't going to be pretty. No amount of wit, cleverness, cunning, or good looks were going to get him out of this, not like they had in the past. Even his infamous smolder was broken.

Not even the weather seemed to want to cooperate with him. The rain fell from the sky by the bucketful, drenching everything. The guards seemed unfazed as they shoved him through the door at the end of the hallway out into it, so hard he stumbled forward into a mud puddle that came up to his ankles, nearly falling flat on his face had he not found some sort of stability from an unknown force. The cold rain soaked his clothes and skin, his hair sticking to his head and forehead. Villagers lined the curb, all wrapped in shawls and cloaks for protection against the elements. No one spoke a word as the condemned criminal was marched forward through the streets. Some people watched him in solemn fascination as he passed, while others jeered and pointed at him, mothers glared, holding their children close as though to protect them from being snatched up and whisked away like some priceless treasure. He couldn't say that he blamed them. He was, after all, a thief.

The soldiers grabbed his bound arms and pushed him onwards, the magnificent castle looming overhead as they neared it. Flynn glanced nervously around him, and he took in slow, deep breaths, savoring each and every one, unsure if he would ever taste fresh air again.

They led him, shivering, into the inner wall of the castle and into the towering building itself, dragging, pushing, shoving him ever forward as they did so, their grips on him never lessening, and Flynn was sure he would have bruises where their fingers had dug into his flesh in the morning.

If he ever saw the morning...

He was shown to a massive corridor, where two gigantic doors stood tall and silent ahead of him. More guards stood at every corner, their faces straight and serious, but Flynn could hear the snickers and see their triumphant grins at having finally brought the infamous thief Flynn Rider to justice. They were reveling in his downfall.

Two of the guards standing at attention opened the huge doors as they neared them, and Flynn found himself inside the royal throne room. At the far end of the room sat the King and Queen atop their mighty velvet chairs, stoic and almost menacing looks upon both of their faces. Courtsmen and women stood off to one side, watching him as he was brought before them. And at the King's right sat the newly discovered Princess Rapunzel, her face mimicking those of her parents. Her green eyes were cold and hard, and Flynn was nearly thrown aback at the sight of them.

Those were not the eyes he knew.

The captain of the guard stepped forward, bowing to the royal family.

"Your Majesties," he said. "I have brought Flynn Rider, as you ordered."

The King nodded to the captain.

"Very well, thank you." He said to him. Then, in a louder voice, he addressed the room. "The trial of the thief Flynn Rider will now begin." He said.

Flynn swallowed hard, stealing at glance at Princess Rapunzel. Surely she would stick up for him! They had been through so much together...he had rescued her from the woman who had kidnapped her as an infant for her magical hair, shown her the world outside that miserable tower where she had spent eighteen long years completely ignorant of her royal blood. He had taken her on the adventure of a lifetime, and somehow in the midst of it all, he had fallen in love with her. And not long ago, just before he brought her to the kingdom for the second time to be reunited with her long lost parents, those green eyes had sparkled and shone with what could be nothing else but love for him as well.

But as he searched her beautiful face, he could see no love in those big green eyes. She didn't even pretend to recognize him.

"Flynn Rider," the King boomed, "You are brought before this court found guilty of several accounts of robbery and evading arrest."

"Y-Yes sir." Flynn said, forcing himself to sound and appear as calm and steady as possible, though his knees felt like they were going to give in any second, and all the more his heart pounded like the beat of a drum.

The King eyed him. "Do you have anything you'd like to say before we announce your sentence?"

Flynn took one more look at the princess, but she looked back at him with cold indifference. He sighed, and looked down at his chained hands, then back up at the king.

"Your majesty," he began. "What you say is true: I am a thief. I've been on the run for as far back as I can remember, dodging soldiers and flying arrows and densely populated areas. But I appeal to you today to allow me the chance to redeem myself."

The Queen threw her head back, laughing harshly.

"_Redeem _yourself?" She spat. "How could a lowly criminal such as yourself possible _redeem _yourself?"

Flynn chewed his bottom lip, searching for the right words to aid him in this. She was right, of course, but somehow Flynn had to find a way out of this.

He said softly, "Allow me to go free, and I'll pay back every debt I owe you and your kingdom."

The King, eyes still narrowed at him, said nothing.

"Please, your majesty," Flynn begged. "Allow me one last chance."

The King shook his head, much to Flynn's dismay.

"You will repay your debts, indeed, young man." He said, no warmth in his voice at all. He turned, looking at the princess.

"Rapunzel, what do you think we should do with this man?" He asked her.

Rapunzel looked at him, and he implored her to remember the events that had lead up to this moment, his heart silently begging her to love him the way he had thought she did, the way he did her. Her green eyes flicked, and for a moment, Flynn thought he saw remorse and pain, but it was gone in a second, replaced by the icy, emotionless expression she wore before.

"His debts are far too great for him to repay in any way other than death," She said coolly.

Her father nodded and turned back to face Flynn as he stared at the princess, his heart breaking nearly in half at her harsh words. Again he searched for the right words to defend himself.

"Your majesties, surely returning the Lost Princess is enough!" He said desperately.

"Not enough for you." The king said. He stood to his feet, and in a booming voice said, "Flynn Rider, I hereby condemn you to death via hangman's noose immediately following this meeting. May God show you more mercy than I."

Flynn's eyes widened, shock ringing through his entire being as though he had just been struck down by a bolt of lightning. The guards quickly grabbed his arms, wrestling him backwards.

"No!" He said as he tried to wrestle away from them. "NO! Please!"

The King paid him no heed, and he turned his attention to the princess, to the woman he loved.

"Rapunzel, please!" He begged. "You know me! Please remember!"

She stared at him blankly.

The guards roughly spun Flynn around to face the door, dragging him along. He dug his heels into the plush rug laid out on the polished stone floor. If he was going down, he wasn't doing so without a fight.

"No!" He screamed. "Please!"

He cast one final glance over his shoulder, and he could have sworn he saw tears streaming down Rapunzel's face.

The guards pushed him along the corridors out into the plaza, where the rain continued to pelt against his face, the cold drops stinging his face and eyes. It was almost as if the weather carried the pain his heart now felt.

They marched him to the gallows that stood at the center of the city square, where people had lined up to watch as a silent warning to all those who dared defy the law.

The silence once again overcame the earth, and he heard whispers from the villagers around him. The guards led him to the base of the steps, and he looked up at the gallows, the noose swaying ominously in the cold breeze, and he looked back over his shoulder, where he caught sight of Rapunzel and her parents standing behind the crowd. Her face was blank, her father's hand on her shoulder. The King's other arm was around his wife's shoulders, and he glared at Flynn as he nodded at the guards.

Flynn slowly made his way up the short steps to the gallows platform. The guards led him to the center, where he could see the square of wood he knew to be the trapdoor, just big enough for his body to drop down through.

One of the guards held him in place as the other grabbed the noose and placed it around his neck, tightening it to the point where Flynn wondered if he would die of suffocation before they even had the chance to pull the lever...

He looked one more time at Rapunzel and her parents, pleading with her to look him in the eye. If he was going to die, he wanted her to know that he truly loved her first.

And for a moment, their eyes did meet. And in those eyes, despite being more than twenty feet away, Flynn saw nothing. Not a shred of love for him, no recognition, no memory of their adventure at all. Nothing but cold, hard contempt.

One of the guards reached for the lever, and pulled.


	2. Night Terrors

**So I was up late writing this chapter the other night, when my computer decided to randomly log me out of the site. Nice, right? So I had to start all over from scratch. Thanks a lot, computer. Thanks a lot.**

**Also, it's no longer a two-shot. It's a full-blown story. Absolutely. It should be about, oh I don't know...seven, eight chappies? But you never know. :)**

**Anywho, yes, most of you figured out that this was a dream, but that's okay, because it's still going to be good. :) Hopefully...it should be good. I'm hoping I end it well, but well...who knows? So here's chapter two!**

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Thanks for reminding me. **_

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**Hangman's Noose**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll_

...oOo...

The terrible finality of falling through the trapdoor was enough to jolt him back into reality.

Flynn sat up, panting heavily, taking in greedy gulps of air. His eyes were wide as he looked around the room, frantically trying to focus and remember where, exactly, he was. Sweat poured down his face and back, the sheets beneath his hands damp with the warm liquid. His hair hung in clumps in his face, and he ran a hand through it, his heart still racing in his chest frantically.

He had had many a nightmare throughout his childhood, back when he lived in that miserable orphanage where he had had no one to comfort him, no one to make the monsters lurking in the shadows go away. But none of the night terrors of his childhood _dared _to compare with the one he had just experienced. He could still feel the scratchy rope around his neck, cutting off his air supply just enough; the rising feeling of panic in his stomach, the taste of blood at the back of his throat. He could still see the blank look in Rapunzel's eyes with haunting clarity, her cruel words echoing through his body and mind like a cold dagger.

He was overcome with the desire to see her. No, he _needed _to see her. He needed to be close to her, hold her in his arms, smell her delicate scent, hear her sweet, melodious voice in his ear, see his brown eyes reflected in her bright green. Never before had he felt such an urgency.

Within moments he untangled himself from the sheets and walked over to the chair in the corner, where his shirt hung over the side, and he pulled it over his head, the soft, airy cotton clinging to his sticky skin. Not bothering with shoes, he ran from his room down the hall towards her chambers, thankful that there were no guards or servants who could possibly get in his way around at this very moment.

He was outside her door in a matter of moments, and he reached for the handle, carefully opening the door. He immerged into her spacious bedroom, the walls brightly decorated with murals and other various paintings depicting her life and dreams. Flynn noted that she had recently finished one of the two of them dancing in the village square from those few short weeks ago, and he smiled slightly. Rapunzel _always _got his nose right.

Flynn quietly tiptoed towards the sleeping princess. She was curled up snuggly in her spacious bed, a peaceful smile on her face. Pascal was asleep on the pillow next to her, changing colors in the moonlight. For a moment, Flynn felt a pang of guilt surge through his heart. Could he really awaken her from her peaceful slumber all because of some nightmare? He had seen her, he knew she loved him...he was letting a silly little dream get the best of him, he was.

Making up his mind, he quietly turned to walk out of the room, but he failed to notice the cup of paintbrushes on the floor next to his foot, and with a clatter, it fell over, the brushes scattering across the polished marble floor.

He cringed.

"Eugene?" Rapunzel asked sleepily as she sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. "Is that you?"

Sighing, Flynn turned to face her, crossing over to stand next to her bedside. Pascal had turned an irritated pink color from being so abruptly awoken, but he slowly turned back to his usual shade of green and scampered off the bed towards the windowsill.

"Yeah, it's me." He said.

"What are you doing here?" Rapunzel rubbed her eyes, yawning. "What time is it?"

"It's late." Flynn said quietly. "Go back to sleep. Sorry for waking you up."

Rapunzel blinked away more sleepiness.

"Is everything alright?" She asked, looking at his face closely. "You look really pale..."

"I'm alright," Flynn answered. "I just...wanted to come check on you is all."

Rapunzel's eyebrows furrowed, and she shook her head.

"Something's wrong." She stated, swinging her legs over the side of her bed. "What happened?"

"I...I don't want to talk about it." Flynn answered. "It's nothing. Just go back to sleep."

"Eugene, you can tell me anything." Rapunzel pushed gently. "You know that, right?"

"Of course I do, it's just..." Flynn sighed again. "I don't know what to say."

"Did you have a nightmare?"

It was scary how well she knew him sometimes. He had only known her for a short time, but he loved her, with every fiber of his soul. She knew his quirks, his traits, his weaknesses...she knew how to cheer him up when he needed it, how to make everything better no matter the situation...

But somehow, he wasn't quite sure she could help him with this one.

He nodded, mutely.

Rapunzel got to her feet, closing the short distance between the two of them to envelope him in a tight hug around his midsection, her petite form only coming to his chest.

"Want to tell me about it?"

A part of him wanted to turn away. He had grown up unloved and uncomforted whenever he found himself in the aftermath of a nightmare, yet here he was, a grown man, scared to death and in the arms of the most beautiful girl in the world, the girl that held his very heart in her little hands. Yes, he wanted to talk about it. But he wasn't sure he knew how.

Rapunzel gently drew back, taking his hand.

"Let's go out on the balcony. Fresh air might do you some good."

He allowed her to take him out onto the balcony outside her bedroom, welcoming the cool summer breeze openly as it blew against his warm face. He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. After a moment, he felt her warm hand on his arm, and he opened his eyes to find her concerned face looked up at him.

"What happened?" She asked.

"I was...in prison." He started. "Your father...he wanted to see me, for my trial. He had me brought before the entire court and you and the Queen...I was tried for my charges. The thievery, evading arrest, everything, the whole shebang."

"This is about tomorrow, isn't it?" Rapunzel said softly.

It was true. Tomorrow was the day Flynn Rider was to actually go before the entire court, and the king and queen, as well as Rapunzel. Even bringing back the Lost Princess didn't automatically clear him of the bounty on his head. Tomorrow was either judgment day or redemption day. Tomorrow was the day Flynn Rider faced his demons.

"Was there more?" Rapunzel asked.

He glanced up at the twinkling stars.

"Yes." He said. "He asked you how you felt, what you thought my punishment should be."

"What did I say?" She sounded like she was almost afraid to ask.

"Nothing nice." He admitted. "You said that my debts were far too great to be repaid in other way but death."

Rapunzel took a deep breath, and slowly let it out, trying to control the tears she felt welling in her heart. In his dream, she had ordered Eugene's death. Her Eugene.

"And then you came to the execution...then I woke up when I fell."

Rapunzel shook her head, finally allowing a tear to escape her eye.

"Oh, Eugene, I'm so sorry." She said, moving closer to him. "I'm so sorry."

He shook his head, leaning against the railing of the balcony.

"It's not your fault." He said. "I'm just...so..."

He didn't want to say afraid, but he knew that Rapunzel knew him too well to think he could feel any other way.

"Afraid?"

He turned his head to look at her, then he looked back at his hands.

"More like terrified." He chuckled, trying to make the situation a little lighter. "I'm afraid that...well, I guess I'm afraid that I deserve it."

"What do you mean?"

He searched for the right words to explain.

"I guess I mean that I'm afraid that whatever I have coming to me, I deserve it. I've been a thief as far back as I can really remember, Rapunzel. If they chose to lock me up in jail, I deserve it. If they condemn me to hang, I deserve it. You can't live a life like I did and plan to get away with it forever."

"But what if they pardon you?" Rapunzel threw that question to the wind.

Flynn was quiet for a minute.

"Well, I guess I deserve that then, too." He said. "But I don't think I feel like I do."

Rapunzel smiled at him, reaching out a hand to caress his cheek, turning his face to look at her.

"Eugene, I haven't known him for very long, but I know one thing: my father is very much a fair man. He doesn't hang heroes."

"I'm not a hero, Rapunzel." Flynn said. "I'm just...a thief."

"You're not anymore!" Rapunzel said. "You've changed!"

"I know that," Flynn said. "But that doesn't matter. My past is what defines me."

"It doesn't always have to, Eugene." Rapunzel said. "The past is gone. It can't be changed. But my father likes you, and he knows that you're a good man, a wonderful man. You brought back the Lost Princess! You're a hero by all standards! And anyway, the past isn't what matters; it's today that matters, and you're not a thief today."

She smiled encouragingly at him, and he smiled back at her, starting to feel a little better.

She moved even closer, mirroring his position by leaning against the stone balcony. He gave her a tender glance.

"I love you, you know." He said.

She turned her pretty face upwards to catch his gaze, her green eyes shining in the starlight, just like they did that night out on the river during the Lantern Festival.

"I love you more." She whispered.

He reached out an arm to wrap around her waist, pulling her against him. She snuggled her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes and sighing contentedly, the breeze playing with the wild tufts of chocolate brown hair atop her head. He lightly kissed the top of the silky threads, looking back up at the stars.

"Tomorrow will be fine." Rapunzel promised. "I know it will. My father will pardon you, and then we don't have to worry about those wanted posters anymore."

"It's not just your father I'm going to have to appeal to, Rapunzel." He said. "It's the entire court, too."

"I know." Rapunzel said. "But I'm sure they'll understand, too."

_You have far too much faith, _Flynn thought.

"I hope you're right." He said, burying his face in her hair.

She hugged him tightly for a minute before pulling back, giggling as he yawned.

"Let's get you back to bed," she said. "You've got a busy day ahead of you tomorrow!"

Flynn nodded. "That I do." He agreed.

Rapunzel took his hand and squeezed, leading him back to her bed. Throwing back the covers, she crawled in, patting the mattress next to her, signaling for him to climb in with her.

Flynn felt his cheeks burn slightly.

"Uh, Rapunzel, I think it might be a good idea if I go back to my room and sleep..." He said.

Rapunzel frowned and cocked her head to one side slightly, confused.

"Why?" She asked.

Flynn rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, Blondie, it's, uh...not exactly _encouraged_..." He said.

She rolled her eyes.

"Eugene, we're just going to sleep. What's so bad about that?"

Rapunzel's innocence was just another one of things that Flynn adored about her. She was innocent to the point of borderline complete naïvety, but that was a part of who she was, and Flynn loved her through and through, every little thing. He loved every strand of hair on her head, every freckle on her nose, but _God _she just didn't understand!

"Trust me, I'd just feel much better if I went back to my own bed." He said.

"Alright, then." Rapunzel said after a moment. "Then I'm at least coming to tuck you in."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Tuck me in?" He asked. "Why would you do that?"

Rapunzel shrugged.

"Mo- I mean Gothel used to tuck me in whenever I had trouble sleeping." She explained. "It always helped me."

Flynn supposed it wouldn't hurt, so he consented.

"Alright." He said.

Rapunzel grinned, and leapt out of bed, grabbing his hand. The two of them walked down the silent corridors together, their fingers tightly entwined between them. They reached the doors to Flynn's bedroom, and entered the empty room.

"Climb in." Rapunzel instructed.

Flynn did as he was told and climbed into his bed, which had by now cooled down from the lack of a warm body, the sweat almost completely dried. Flynn made a mental note to have the sheets changed in the morning...

Rapunzel pulled the sheets up to his chest, tucking them under his body, forming a cocoon around him.

"There!" She said, stepping back a little, hands on her hips, admiring her work. "You're tucked in!"

Flynn had to laugh a little, not only from the simple act that Rapunzel found so much joy in, but also from the pure light it sent through his soul.

"I just hope I don't have to get up to use the bathroom anytime soon!" He joked. "I think I'm stuck here!"

Rapunzel grinned again before leaning down.

"Goodnight, Eugene." She whispered.

"Goodnight, Blondie." He whispered back, capturing her lips with his own.

"I love you." Rapunzel said after they pulled apart.

Flynn yawned again and closed his eyes sleepily, resting against his pillow.

"I love you more." He said.

Rapunzel smiled softly at his peaceful form in the bed as she reached for the door handle.

"I love you most." She whispered, and quietly clicked the door closed.


	3. Appeal

**So my best friend was in town this week, and we went hiking together, and we took my Flynn Rider Barbie doll with us. xD And she helped me pound out the plot for this! **

**Anyway, so now it begins, and your answers are here...sort of. ;) **

_**Disclaimer: Yeeep. Barbie doll and a frying pan are about all I own.**_

**PS - Up late. Again. Did the same damn thing. I hate you, Document Manager. I really, really, REALLY hate you. **

**PSS - TWICE. AND IT WAS BLOODY THERE WHEN I SAVED. WHERE THE HELL DID IT GO? Uuuuuugh! -headdesk- I get the feeling something out there does not want this fanfiction to be written...**

* * *

**Hangman's Noose**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll_

...oOo...

As if he hadn't been scared enough the night before after his nightmare, Flynn couldn't even imagine being more terrified than he was at this very moment.

He found himself pacing back and forth across the smooth floor of his room, still dressed in his night clothes at nearly noon, running his shaky hands through his hair. He had tried everything to calm him down: hot tea, opened a window, rubbed a rabbit's foot, tried to take a nap, read a book, he even prayed, but he found that nothing did the trick.

He stopped pacing long enough to sit down on his bed, his head in hands. He let out a long sigh as he once again tried to regain his composure.

Yes, he knew the king liked him. He and the older man had quite a pleasant relationship. They hadn't interacted much since he and Rapunzel had come to stay here at the castle, but the few times that they had had been cordial, and while it was obvious the king knew exactly who he was, he had never once questioned the young man's motives for bringing back his long lost daughter. The gleam in Flynn's eyes whenever he looked at Rapunzel were enough for the king.

It was the royal court Flynn had to please. While the king was, indeed, the leader of the kingdom, his court represented the people of his kingdom as elected officials. They brought laws and propositions before the king, and helped him to decide which route to take on many an important matter. And Flynn supposed that the sentencing of a high bounty criminal was pretty damn important.

The king had his opinions, and the court had theirs.

A soft knock on his door brought him out of his reverie, and he looked up.

"Come in." He called, shocked at how drained his voice sounded.

Rapunzel's brunette head poked inside.

"Eugene?" She said, slipping inside. "Are you alright?"

"Peachy." He said, trying to sound chipper, for her sake. He got to his feet and gave her a convincing smile, holding out his hand to her. She crossed the room to meet him, and he noted that her feet were, once again, as bare as the day he had met her. Rapunzel absolutely hated the very idea of shoes.

He tried horribly to make his hands stop shaking, but he knew that no matter his body language, Rapunzel knew.

"You're still worried about today, aren't you?" She asked.

Flynn nodded.

"A little," he admitted.

Rapunzel smiled, squeezing his hand.

"Oh, Eugene," she said. "I told you! You have nothing to worry about. Everything is going to be alright. I promise."

He shook his head.

"I don't think that's a promise you can keep, Blondie." He said.

She gave him an incredulous look, and stepped back, hands on her hips.

"Eugene Fitzherbert, I _never _break a promise." She said. "_Never._"

"Don't I know?" Flynn mumbled.

Rapunzel gently reached out to take his hand again.

"It's going to be okay." She said. "The court is going to see how much you've changed, and you're going to come out of that room a free man! I just know it." She let go of his hand to gently fix a lock of hair that had fallen into his eyes. "Now, I came to ask you if you wanted to come on a walk with me in the garden before we have to be at the, er, meeting?"

Flynn felt a surge of gratitude at her avoidance of the word 'trial.' He smiled at her, lightly brushing his lips against hers.

"I'd love to." He said. "I'll meet you down there in a few minutes, okay? I think I might want to actually get dressed..."

Rapunzel giggled. "You might." She agreed. "Okay, then. I'll meet you down there." She rose to her tiptoes to plant another kiss on his lips before turning and walking out of the room. "Oh, and don't forget to have your sheets changed. You looked pretty disgusted about getting back into them last night when I tucked you in..."

Bless him, what would he do without her?

...oOo...

The king stood out on his and the queen's balcony, the one that overlooked the garden. He, too, had been dreading today, for he knew that whatever the court decided was to be done. It worried him to think of his daughter with a broken heart, if her Eugene was not pardoned.

The queen sat behind him in a largek, comfortable chair, her personal diary positioned on her lap as a quill spread across the paper.

The king had often found solice in overlooking his peaceful garden, especially on days like today. As he did so, he noticed a young woman dressed in green come out into the garden, admiring the rose bushes and the little birds that flew about near the fountain at the end of the pathway. Smiling lovingly as he realized it was Rapunzel, he quietly watched her, noticing she did not done shoes.

As he watched, he noticed as a second figure entered the heavenly garden, the very man that today revolved around. He watched as Flynn Rider tiptoed up behind his daughter, a playful grin on his face. Then, when he knew she hadn't noticed him, he stole up behind the princess and grabbed her from behind, spinning her around before setting her back on the ground. Rapunzel let out a shriek of delight, and grinned when she realized who it was. Flynn Rider playfully grabbed the tiara atop her head, and held it out of her reach about his head, and Rapunzel, still grinning, lept for it as Rider began to dance about the garden. Rapunzel had finally had enough, and in a very un-princess like way, she tackled him to the grass. Rider, completely caught of guard, could only stare at her dumbly as she sat square on his chest and grabbed the tiara before leaping off and standing over him, hands on her hips, smiling as though the small game had been the fun of her life. Rider began to laugh, and Rapunzel plopped down on the grass beside him as he sat up. The king smiled at the subtle display of affection as Rider snaked an arm around his daughter and nuzzled her wild hair.

The king didn't care if he were a commoner or prince, or even a thief. Flynn Rider made his daughter happy, and that was all that mattered to him. As far as he was concerned, the only thing Rider was absolutely guilty of stealing was Rapunzel's heart.

He could hear them talking to each other, but from his position on the balcony, he could not discern what it was, nor did he want to . This moment was their own.

He felt a warm hand enter his own, and he turned to find his wife standing beside him, smiling gently down at the young lovers in the garden below.

"They certainly are happy, aren't they?" She asked.

He smiled at her.

"That they are."

His queen's eyes turned to look at him.

"I'm worried about today." She said quietly.

He sighed, squeezing her hand.

"You, too?"

She nodded.

"What if...what if the court decides that he's guilty?" She asked. "I can't bear to imagine what Rapunzel would do if she lost him."

"There are years and years of incriminating evidence up against him, I'm afraid." The king said. "It very well come to be that he is guilty."

The queen shook her head. "But just look at them!" She said, gesturing to Flynn and Rapunzel in the garden. "It's so unfair! To think that all of this could be ripped out from under them so suddenly."

The king patted his wife's hand lovingly, and tried to give her an encouraging smile.

"We will just have to see." He said. He looked back out at Rapunzel and Flynn, who were now walking down the path towards the fountain at the end, hand in hand. "However, I must say that at this point, it does not appear to be going in the direction we all want it to."

...oOo...

He and Rapunzel had parted ways a while back upon having come back to the castle, Rapunzel joining her parents in the throne room. And now, here he stood, outside the huge double doors, just as he had in his nightmare the previous night. The very memory was enough to send chills down his spine, and he ran his hands through his hair, chewing his bottom lip nervously.

Behind those doors were the people that would decide his entire future. The king, the queen, Rapunzel, and the congregation of the kingdom court.

He could hear voices echo through the thick wood of the doors as he awaited for the doors to open, which would allow for his trial to begin. At this moment, he would rather be anywhere but here.

Flynn could hear footsteps approaching the door, and he straightened himself up, taking in a deep breath. A royal guard (one that he had probably given the slip more than once, judging form his sour expression) opened the door, and Flynn stepped inside the court room.

This was it.

There was no turning back now.

The first thing he noticed was the lack of sound. The room went unbearably quiet upon his entrance, and he gulped just slightly as he passed by the courtsmen. A few glared at him, and he shivered. It was almost as though they were peering directly into his soul, like predators about to strike...

He made his way to the end of the room, where he bowed in front of the royal family. It felt almost awkward, addressing them with such formality.

The king's eyes were full of regret as he stood.

"Flynn Rider," he said, his voice strong and clear. "You have been brought before this court today to appeal for pardoning of your crimes."

Flynn nodded, though he wasn't exactly sure if he really _was _here to be pardoned. In fact, he wasn't really all that sure why he was here in the first place. Was he here to be pardoned, to be spared? Or was he here to die? It was almost cruel to make him wait to find out.

"Yes, your majesty." He said.

The king nodded to him before turning to his court. A short man stepped forward.

"You have many years of hard evidence that suggest we should hang you." He said in a sneering tone. "Do you agree?"

Flynn had to. He looked at the floor and nodded.

"Yes." He said, softly. "But if I may, many of the times I stole, I stole to survive. Food, provisions. Yes, I stole valuables. I stole jewels, money, anything I could get my hands on sometimes." He shook his head. "But most of the time, I only stole so that I could live another day."

"And yet you stole the Lost Princess's crown." The short man said. "_Surely _that was not so that you could go on 'living another day.'"

Flynn visibly cringed.

"If I may?" Rapunzel's sweet voice spoke up, and the young princess stood.

"Of course, Princess." The short man said.

"While Eug...I mean Flynn may have been a wanted man, I can personally say he's changed." She said. "He rescued me from the tower I spent eighteen years locked away in, and from the woman who kidnapped me as a baby for my hair, which used to have healing abilities. Flynn cut my hair to save my life, and he brought me back to my parents, to my kingdom. Surely those actions outweigh those of his past?"

Flynn smiled gratefully at Rapunzel, who's sparkling green eyes smiled back at him.

"Princess, we understand the bond between you and Rider," Another man, thinner than the short one, stood. "But we must not treat him any differently. He is still a criminal, after all."

"But he - " Rapunzel started to say, but her father held up a hand, shaking his head. She cast a glance at Flynn before she sat back down.

"If I may," the king said. "I would like to say that while it is true that I ordered Rider's death on the night of the lantern festival, he escaped. It was not until he returned to the kingdom with my daughter that I realized it was that he did not escape to save himself, but instead he escaped to save my daughter and return to us. And while I admit that I, too, had my suspicions when he first came here, it did not take long for him to convince me that his motives were pure. I believe this man has genuinely had a change of heart and is worthy of a complete pardon. I believe that had he not been concerned for Rapunzel's safety, he would not have escaped and he would have indeed hung that day. He has not given me a single reason to doubt him."

Flynn was touched by the king's words. For the first time in his life, he felt as though he had someone to watch out for him and his well-being. Finally he felt like he had someone akin to a father...

The courtsmen whispered among themselves as the king returned to his throne. Flynn couldn't help but begin to feel a little hope rise in his chest. Maybe, just maybe, he would walk away a free man. Maybe, just maybe, he would get that second chance.

The short one from before stepped forward again, and looked at Rapunzel.

"Princess, the rest of the court and I would like to have a word with your mother and father. If you and Rider would give us ten minutes..."

"Oh!" Rapunzel rose from her seat. "Of course!" She bounced over to where Flynn stood, trying not to shake like a leaf, and took his hand. She began to lead him towards the doors when Flynn stopped and turned back to address the court.

"If I might add just one more thing." He said. "I just want you all to know that I deeply and honestly regret the wrongs and crimes of my past, and all I ask for is one last chance to redeem myself." He wanted to go on, but he wasn't sure he had the right words. So with that, he took Rapunzel's hand in his own once more, and the two of them left the giant room, the collosal doors closing behind them as they emerged into the hallway.

"See!" Rapunzel said, squeezing his hand. "I told you it would go well!"

Flynn smiled at her, taking her into his arms.

"I just hope it stays that way." He said. "I feel like I owe your father a really big hug or something once this is all over with."

Rapunzel giggled, pulling back to look at his face.

"You're going to be pardoned, I've no doubt." She said, laying her head on his chest. "I just _know _it!"

He laid his head atop hers, and prayed she was right.

They stayed that way until they heard the sound of footsteps nearing the door once more, and a guard poked his head outside.

"You may come back in now, Princess." He said softly to Rapunzel.

"Thank you. " She nodded to the guard and turned back to give Flynn a large grin.

The two of them walked back into the room, and the first thing Flynn noticed was the queen's sad expression. The king's face mirrored that of his wife's, his blue eyes remorceful as he glanced at Flynn and Rapunzel's entwined fingers.

_I don't like the looks of this..._ Flynn thought, and he suddenly felt very sick at his stomach.

"Flynn Rider," the short man said once more. "The royal court has reviewed your appeal, and a sentence has been brought forth."

Rapunzel squeezed his hand, and whispered excitedly, "This is it!"

She obviously hadn't seen her parents' faces. He held her hand even tighter.

"We, the congregation of the Royal Court of Corona find Flynn Rider guilty, and sentence him to hanged by the neck until death in a week's time at sunset. May God show you mercy."

And just like that, his world came crashing down.


	4. Pain

**Okay. So I know it's been a few days, but seriously, I have a job, college, and a social life to work around, and all that was seriously interrupted today by a 24 hour flu bug. Ugh. **

**It sucked, but here you go. :) Lots of time to lounge around and think about it! :D**

**Also, I know some people pointed out that a lot of Flynn's history was left out in his trial, but don't worry. I wanted to work that into this chapter when a very pissed off Rapunzel demands answers, and that you shall get very soon! Just read on! :D**

**CHAPTER SONG: "Life After You" by Daughtry**

_**Disclaimer: Maybe if I hit a few producers with my frying pan, I can own this movie...or a night in jail...either way...**_

* * *

**Hangman's Noose**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll_

...oOo...

What happened next came as a blur.

No sooner had the words left the short man's mouth that guards swarmed the area, grabbing Flynn by the shoulders and arms, yanking his hand from Rapunzel's as she gave an indignant cry of protest. The words echoed in his head, and his heart dropped to his stomach.

_This wasn't how it was supposed to go..._

Dumbstruck, he didn't even try to struggle as they wrestled at his arms behind his back and shackled his wrists. He cast a look at Rapunzel, who had stepped back, her face red with emotion.

"Stop it!" She yelled, going at the guard nearest to her, trying to pull him away from Flynn. "Let him go!"

The guard merely pushed her to the side as they began to drag Flynn from the room.

Rapunzel wasn't having it. Much as she had back at the Snuggly Duckling when the thugs had been fighting over Flynn just a few short weeks ago, she ran up behind one of the guards and began to beat him on the back with her fists, as she found herself frying pan-less at this particular time.

"Rapunzel!" The King rushed over to his daughter, pulling her away from the guard, who had turned to face his attacker, completely confused but unhurt by the young girl's blows. Rapunzel fought against her father's grasp as the guards dragged Flynn from the room, trying desperately to follow him to wherever they were taking him. She saw him glance over his shoulder at her as they turned the corner, and he was gone.

"NO!" She screamed. "Eugene! NO!"

"Rapunzel, sweetheart, calm down." The Queen said in a soft voice, coming up next to the King, trying to get through to her distraught daughter. "Everything's going to be okay."

Rapunzel spun around. Tears cascaded down her cheeks, her big green eyes filled with grief.

"Daddy, don't let them take him!" She pleaded with the King. "Please, you have to do something!"

"Rapunzel, what's done is done." The King whispered. "Nothing that has happened here can be changed."

"B-but you're the _king_!" She said. "Surely your word presides over all!"

The King shook his head.

"Not always, dearest." He said. "Not in this case. Flynn was a civilian's case."

"The criminal had to be put away," the short man said, coming up to the royal family. "His punishment fits his crimes."

Rapunzel had never felt the urge to slap someone across the face as she did in that moment, looking down at the man who was just slightly shorter than she was. But she did now, and she clenched her hands into fists in an attempt to control herself.

"What crimes?" She cried. "Tell me! Because you most certainly didn't during this trial! I've read the books, the laws. I know how the judicial system works! Just what exactly has he done? What has he done to deserve to _die_?"

The short man was obviously not used to being yelled at by royalty, and especially not by a headstrong young princess. He straightened up and cleared his throat, trying to make himself appear taller; however, the girl's glare was enough to make even the tallest tree feel like a tiny ant.

"He was a thief, Princess." He said. "He's stolen countless times over the years! He once stole an entire bag of money which caused a merchant and his family to sink into poverty, where his wife died and he was left with three small children to care for! He's stolen and blamed others. He's stolen horses, which is a crime punishable by death no matter the rest of your history! Once he broke into a store and got away with countless priceless pieces of artwork, and what he did with them, we'll never know! Not to mention he's stolen from you yourself, Princess. He stole your crown!"

"You mean this thing?" Rapunzel grabbed the sparkling article from atop her brown hair. "Then here! Take it back!" She threw the tiara onto the floor, where it skittered across the marble, undamaged. "I don't want it!"

The Queen gently stooped to pick it up.

"Rapunzel, please, just listen to us." She said. She tried to place the tiara back on Rapunzel's head. "Everything is going be alright."

Rapunzel angrily shook her head, closing her eyes tightly, refusing to listen to anything her parents had to say anymore.

"I don't care what he's done in the past! I don't want some stupid crown! I just want _him!_" She said.

"You majesty, please..." The short man began, but Rapunzel spun around to face him once more, the pure fury on her face enough to ignite fire to life.

"No, you listen to me!" She said, choking with emotion. "That man gave his life for me. His _life _for _me. _He saved me from the woman who kidnapped me and hid me away for eighteen years, and brought me back to my real parents! He brought me home to the loving family I never even knew I had, saved me from being used for the rest of my life. He made me realize that this world is so much bigger than I could ever have imagined, and he taught me that there are things worth sacrificing. _I love him_, and I will fight for the rest of my life if I have to to make sure that people understand who he really is."

With that, she turned on her heel and ran from the room.

...oOo...

Some hours later, the Queen made her way towards her daughter's chambers. After the explosion of emotion in the courtroom, the royal parents had decided it best to allow their daughter a chance to breath. Her life in the past few weeks had been anything but easy: she had escaped her prison, found out she was a lost princess, gone on the adventure of a lifetime…only to have the love of her life yanked out from under her, sent to the gallows. The Queen felt the pain for her child, and she wanted nothing more than to take her in her arms and protect her, protect her from the sheer and utter heartbreak that Eugene's death would surely bring…

The Queen gently knocked on Rapunzel's door.

"Rapunzel?" She whispered against the wood. "Sweetie, are you in there?"

She received no answer. The Queen, suddenly very worried, opened the door and slipped inside.

She found her daughter curled into a small ball on her large bed, the covers rumpled and wrinkled. Rapunzel's face was streaked with dried tears, and in her small fists was a purple piece of fabric – a kingdom flag, the Queen realized. The flag was pressed to Rapunzel's face, her nose buried in the soft cloth, as though it were absorbing her grief. At her side, Pascal had curled up next to her, a sad blue in color. When he saw the Queen approach, he got to his little feet and gave her a mournful look before crawling to sit next to Rapunzel's head.

The Queen felt a sharp pang of hopelessness hit her heart as she looked down at the mess of a girl in front of her. She gently reached out and stroke Rapunzel's hair.

"Rapunzel?" She whispered. "Honey, wake up."

Rapunzel stirred and opened her bright green eyes. She looked up at her mother.

"Mama?" She whispered.

The Queen sat down on the bed next to her daughter, her own eyes filling with tears. Ever since Rapunzel had arrived here, she had not been able to call her 'mother.' That title belonged to one that did not deserve it, to a woman who was not Rapunzel's mother, to a woman who had stolen her and locked her away from the world, who had fed her lies for eighteen long years. The title of 'mother' had forever been tainted, and Rapunzel had explained this to the woman who was her true maternal figure. The Queen had understood, and had told her daughter, weeping in her arms, to take all the time she needed to find the right name for her. And finally, she had.

"Yes, dearest." She whispered. "It's me."

"Mama!" Rapunzel was at the Queen in a second, wrapping her arm around her waist, burying her face in the Queen's shoulder.

The Queen wrapped her arms around the girl, holding her close. She stroked her brown hair, allowed the tears to soak through her. Rapunzel wept, sobs racking through her small body. Every bit of emotion she had ever kept bottled up came out now with full force. And the Queen knew that Rapunzel knew they were the same tears the Queen herself had cried: for Rapunzel's lost childhood, for the transition from ordinary girl in a tower to a princess in a castle, and for Eugene, and the lost future they had dreamt of.

"Sh, Rapunzel, I'm here." The Queen whispered. "I'm here."

"He's going to die, Mama!" Rapunzel heaved. "It doesn't matter what I say! He's going to die!"

The Queen tightened her hold on her child, wishing she could take the pain upon herself, wishing she could spar her daughter from this.

"Sh, darling," the Queen cooed. "It's going to be alright."

"No, it's not!" Rapunzel shook her head against her mother's shoulder. "It's not! Eugene has _changed_! He's not Flynn Rider anymore! He's not a thief anymore! He doesn't deserve to die!"

"I know." The Queen whispered. "I know."

"And nothing I say or do is going to change it!" Rapunzel sobbed once more. "I feel so _useless_! When I still had my blonde hair, I could sing away anything painful! Now I'm stuck, and even if I _did _still have my hair, it wouldn't be enough to save him! No one will listen to me!" She took in gulps of air, struggling for a hold on her emotions. "Eugene is going to die…"

The Queen rested her head atop Rapunzel's, listening to her daughter's breathing slowly even out, her sobs turning into gentle hiccups. Eventually Rapunzel pulled back from her mother.

"I never even got to say goodbye…" She whispered.

The Queen knew she could do nothing to change what the counsel had decided, but she knew she could offer her daughter the chance to come to terms with what was happening. Gently she smoothed down the unruly locks of brunette hair and smiled sadly at her daughter.

"Rapunzel, come with me." She said.

Rapunzel looked confused for a moment, but she quietly stood to her feet. She held out her hand for Pascal, who scampered up her arm onto her shoulder. The young princess followed her mother out of her bedroom and into the hallways.

The Queen led Rapunzel through the brightly lit hallways of the castle. Neither woman said a word.

Before they knew it, the two found themselves walking outside into the warm summer sunshine, towards a smaller, almost colder looking building. Rapunzel noted that it looked almost sad, as if a permanent raincloud hovered above the stone walls. She looked up around her at the unfamiliar walls, wondering where in the world the Queen would be taking her. This was a part of the castle she had not seen as of yet.

Guards positioned on either side of a large wood door – the entrance to wherever it was they found themselves, Rapunzel supposed – stood to attention as the Queen and Princess approached.

"Your majesties," the guards bowed as the royals came closer.

The Queen nodded to them, and they straightened up.

"Take us to Flynn Rider." The Queen commanded.

Rapunzel gasped, looking at her mother. So this was why she had never seen this side of the castle; this was the prison. Behind these walls somewhere was her Eugene.

The guards fidgeted nervously.

"But, your majesty, he's – "

The Queen held up a hand, cutting him off. "I know that he is marked for death, and that prisoners of such status are not permitted visitors," she put an arm around Rapunzel. "But this is a special case."

The guards looked from the Queen to the Princess, who looked back at them, her big green eyes brimmed with hope.

Without a word, one of the guards nodded and opened the door, allowing the Queen and Princess to enter the dark halls of the prison. The Queen kept her arm firmly around Rapunzel's shoulders as they walked through the door, and Rapunzel found herself pressing close to her mother. She looked up at her as they passed through the rowdy halls as prisoners shouted and jeered through barred doors at the guards and the royal mother and daughter. One reached out and grabbed at Rapunzel's ankle, causing the young girl to jump, and she gave a yelp of surprise, spinning around to face the man who had touched her, but all she found was a hand receding back into the shadows of the windowless cell. She shuddered, and quickly turned back to continue on with her mother and the two guards leading them.

The guards led them through the winding halls, and the minutes seemed to stretch on forever as Rapunzel surveyed their surroundings: nearly windowless, the prison was cold, and the walls were damp to the touch. Prisoners grumbled in their cells around them, and the entire place smelled of mildew, urine, and excrement.

_This _was where they were holding Eugene?

Pascal nuzzled himself close to Rapunzel, looking up at her worriedly. She smiled at him encouragingly.

"It's going to be okay, Pascal." She whispered. "They're going to take us to Eugene."

Before long, the two guards stopped outside thick wooden door with a square of bars just above Rapunzel's eye level. She stood to her tiptoes, trying to peer inside, but the heads of the guards stood in her way.

"You've got a visitor, Rider," one of the guards sneered. He opened the door and stepped back, and the Rapunzel looked at her mother, who smiled sadly and nodded.

Rapunzel smiled back and nodded before she turned and walked through the door.


	5. Prisoner

**It's late, I've been tangoing with this freaking Document Uploader for thirty minutes trying to get it to center my crap, I have school in the morning, and the chapter is short. **

**I've come to find that I enjoy writing emotional scenes like this! I'm a sucker for scenes like this one. (And yes, I stole some themes from _Pocahontas_... :P )**

**Also, WANTED: ARTIST WITH CHARACTER DRAWING ABILITIES. If anyone here can draw Rapunzel and Flynn well, and you might be interested in drawing an upcoming scene from the story for me (as my abilities to draw even a stick figure are absolutely zilch), let me know in a comment or PM so I can get in touch with you about what I'm looking for! Not only will I be forever endebted to you, but I'll also feature it on my profile (with a link in an author's note) and I'll write you into the story somehow. :D :D**

* * *

**Hangman's Noose**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll_

...oOo...

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim light of the cell, and Rapunzel was slightly taken aback by its small size. Not that she expected it to be anywhere near the size of her bedroom or anything like that, but she certainly wasn't expecting it to be so tiny. As her pupils widened to take in the darker lighting, she scanned the room quickly. In one corner she found a mound of hay, which she probably supposed was used as a bed, a stool next to it, and chains with cuffs hung from the walls. Her eyes were drawn, however, to the tiny window on the other side, where a figure had stood to greet her.

"Eugene!" She cried, rushing forward. She threw her arms around him, hugging him close as she buried her face in his chest.

"Rapunzel?" He whispered, confused. "What are you doing here?"

Rapunzel sniffed and looked up at him. Good lord, the girl was a wreck! Her hair stuck out at all angles, obviously uncombed, her face streaked with tears.

"My mother brought me here." She said. "I-I never got to say goodbye."

Flynn tightened his grip on her, wishing he could hold her closer, wishing he would never have to let her go.

"Rapunzel, I'm so sorry." He whispered.

"No, I'm sorry." Rapunzel said. "If I hadn't…If you hadn't brought me back here…"

Flynn cut her off in a second, pulling her back to face him. He gently reached out and brushed a stray wisp of hair from her eyes, cradling her face in his hands.

"Hey, don't you dare say that any of this is your fault." He said, firmly yet gently. "Because it's not. It's _not." _

Rapunzel let out a sob, grabbing onto his wrist.

"But it's not _fair_!" She said. "It's just not fair! You're not the same man anymore! You're not Flynn Rider anymore. You don't deserve to die."

"Rapunzel, I told you last night that I would stand by whatever sentence the council decided." He said softly. "You've got to understand that I've lived a life of lies and thievery up until now. These past few weeks have been the longest I've gone without stealing since I was a teenager. You can't live a life of lies and deception like I did and not expect judgment at some point or another, and no matter when it finally catches up to you, you know when you deserve what you get, and I know I deserve this." He pulled her against him, allowing the tears cascading down her cheeks to soak his shirt.

"You _don't _deserve this, Eugene." Rapunzel said. "You don't. You saved my life, you brought me back to my family, my kingdom! And you did it with a sincere heart. You weren't out looking for some reward. You've changed."

"And I changed because of _you._" He said. "If I hadn't stolen that crown, if I hadn't stumbled into your tower, if you hadn't whacked some sense into me with that frying pan, I never would have found you. You're the reason I changed, because before you I was…empty." He kissed the top of her head. "You're worth dying for, Rapunzel. And if me bringing you back here means facing my past and accepting the punishment for my actions, so be it."

Rapunzel shook against him as she cried, and Flynn hugged her tightly to him.

"Sh, it's going to be okay." He soothed, rubbing her back in tiny circles. "Stop crying, Blondie, it's going to be okay."

Rapunzel wished she could believe him.

The two of them stood there for many long moments, simply holding each other, supporting each other. It wasn't until the door to the cell opened again and a guard poked his head in that they drew apart.

"Princess?" The guard said. "It's time to go."

Rapunzel's face twisted with pain and she buried her face in Flynn's chest again.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you, too." Flynn said back.

Their lips met, caught in a kiss like none either had ever experienced – sad, sweet, and almost urgent, neither knowing if this would be their final meeting or not. In it, each of them poured out their hearts, allowing the other to feel and understand the emotions hanging in the air like thick fog. It was a kiss neither of them wanted to end.

Flynn walked with her over to the door, where he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

Rapunzel cast one last glance over her shoulder at him before the door was shut behind her.

The Queen was there waiting for her, and as soon as she saw her daughter's face, she held out her arms. Rapunzel hurried into them. The Queen looked at the guards in front of them.

"You're to let her in to see this man anytime she pleases." She commanded in a voice that dared not be underestimated. "I don't care what time of day or night it is or isn't, if my daughter wishes to see him, you're to let her. Understood?"

The guards nodded, nervously.

Rapunzel looked at her mother gratefully. The Queen smiled at her, wrapping her arm around her shoulders once more as they made their way back down the halls towards the castle.

...oOo...

Somehow she knew she had to stop this.

Rapunzel knew, she just knew, deep in her heart, that there was no way she could allow them to hang Eugene. There was no way she could sit back and watch as the man she loved with all her heart was unfairly killed for a life everyone knew he regretted and no longer led.

She had refused to eat anything at dinner. She had found that she was just not hungry, even though the Queen had had the cooks whip up her favorite, hazelnut soup. She had simply toyed with her spoon, swirling it around in the thick, creamy porridge before her. She had spoken barely a word, afraid that if she did, she would surely burst into tears again. Rapunzel had cried more in the past few hours than she had in her entire life, and to put it bluntly, she was tired of it.

She was tired of a lot of things, she found.

She was tired of the world trying to take Eugene from her. As far as she was concerned, the world had won this battle.

She was tired of all the "I'm sorry"s she had been given by her parents and servants around her.

But more than anything, at this point, she was tired of being a princess.

For eighteen years Rapunzel had operated under the assumption that yes, she had a gift – the gift of magical, glowing, healing hair that happened to be over seventy feet long and that lost its power once cut – but never once had she thought herself a princess. She had always thought of herself as a normal girl, with big dreams and not enough paint to capture them all.

But now she was a princess in a castle with servants and fancy clothes and parents who loved her, but the plain stuffiness of it all was beginning to suffocate her. Eugene had been her escape from it all, the one person (other than her parents, of course) who didn't dote on her as though she were a crystal vase about to shatter, and now he was gone, and Rapunzel had no idea where to go from here.

_Eugene isn't gone **yet**_, she reminded herself.

She sighed as she trudged over to her bed, having finally changed into her nightgown, and fell back onto the soft mattress. She stared up at her ceiling, desperately trying to formulate any possible solution to the nightmare she found herself living in, pounding a pillow in frustration when she found none.

She felt the cool feeling of scales against her arm, and she turned her head to find Pascal.

"Oh Pascal," She whispered, tearing up again. "What am I going to do?"

The little chameleon turned a shade of lavender – her favorite color - as he sympathetically patted her cheek with his foot. He was just as confused and upset as she was.

"I wish I had never come here," she whispered as Pascal crawled onto the pillow next to her head. "I love my parents, and I love my kingdom, but all it's done is taken Eugene away from me. Maybe if I had never come here, he would be free! He would still be a wanted criminal, yes, but at least he wouldn't be headed for the gallows! At least he would be with me! At least I wouldn't be left alone."

She opened her teary eyes to find Pascal holding something in his mouth, and she realized it was the kingdom flag Eugene had bought for her on her birthday only a few short weeks before. She gently reached out and took it from Pascal, and held it close to her, pressing it against her face as she finally allowed the tears to flow freely down her cheeks.

Through the tears, she began to recite the verse that had so many times brought all her previous hurts to rest. For years she had sung away bruises and cuts with the simple song Gothel had taught her, and once she had even sung away death, her golden hair replaced with golden tears. But now, not even the song that for so long comforted her and the magic her tears possessed could make the pain in her heart go away.

_Flower gleam and glow, _

_Let your power shine,_

_Make the clock reverse,_

_Bring back what once was mine,_

_Heal what has been hurt, _

_Change the fate's design, _

_Save what has been lost, _

_Bring back what once was mine,_

_What once was mine…_


	6. Thunderstorm

**This story is featured on "Hell Yeah Tangled" on tumblr! :DD **

**So I just wanted to stop and take a moment to thank you all for your amazing and helpful reviews. They really mean a lot, and even though I don't respond to all of them, I read each and every one of them. :) **

******Oh! And for those of you interested in the fanart challenge, the details are at the end of this chapter. :)******

**So here's your next chapter! I wanted to go ahead and get it out there, because this week I've taken on extra hours at work (fifteen more to be precise, and not by choice, either, thank you, employers) and I'm a full time student in college, so...yeah, busy busy week! **

**Chapter Song: "Wait It Out" by Imogen Heap**

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing but a frying pan, Flynn Rider doll, and a knockoff recipe for hazelnut soup. So bleeh! -sticks out tongue-**_

* * *

**Hangman's Noose**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll_

...oOo...

This couldn't be happening.

Not now.

Not yet.

Rapunzel ran through the halls of the castle, heaving for breath, her bare feet slapping at the cold stone beneath her, the fear and sheer determination she felt propelling her forward like a bird through the air.

She had to stop this.

She flew around the corner, pausing for a moment to catch her breath, leaning against the cool stone walls for support. She looked to her right out the window that overlooked the courtyard below – her destination. She could see her parents and the royal court gathered there, guards lining the perimeter of the confined space, faces alert and weapons ready for battle should the need arise.

Her eyes flicked at moment to the left of the scene, and she saw two guards enter the yard with a third figure between them.

"Eugene!" She whispered.

Eugene's hands were shackled tightly behind his back, his arms twisted and wrenched into what appeared to be a very painful position. His clothes were dirty and torn, his shirt hanging loosely from his shoulders, spots of blood covering it. He was barefooted, much like Rapunzel herself, the legs of his brown pants rolled up to his shins. His bruised face looked forlorn and defeated as the guards dragged him to the center of the courtyard and up the wooden steps of the gallows. He didn't even try to fight them.

"Eugene, no!"

Rapunzel turned to run, but a hand reached out and caught her. She spun around to find Gothel holding onto her arm, a sneer on her already smug face as she pointed a finger out the window.

Rapunzel's eyes widened, and she swore she felt her heart do a flip in her chest at the sight of the witch that had raised her.

"Mother?" She whispered.

"Now look what you've done, Rapunzel." Gothel said coldly, still pointing out the window at the courtyard beneath. "But don't worry; it will all be over soon."

"How did you…?" Rapunzel shook her head, refusing to allow herself to get distracted. Not now. Not when Eugene needed her…

"There's no sense in trying to save him." Gothel said, letting her hand drop but never relenting in her grip on Rapunzel's arm. "He's already as good as dead."

Rapunzel desperately tried to tear her arm from Gothel's grasp. Time was running out!

She stopped to glance out the window for a moment, and she felt her breath catch in her throat as she watched one of the guards fasten the noose around Eugene's neck, tightening it. It was then she noticed that it was not a rope that they had wrapped into a hangman's noose, but long, golden blonde hair. _Her _hair.

"I told you not to get attached to him," Gothel said, placing her hands on Rapunzel's shoulders and leaning forward to whisper in her ear. "I told you, dear. Did I not tell you he'd leave you?"

Rapunzel watched in horror as the guard finished with the noose of hair at Eugene's neck, walking over to a lever near the edge of the platform. Rapunzel tried to run, tried to turn and run as far away from Gothel as she could, jump out that window, run to the platform and stop this horrible act, save Eugene, but she found that she was rooted to the spot, frozen as icy cold terror crept up her spine as the guard gripped the lever in his hand and pulled.

The trapdoor beneath Eugene disappeared, and with it, Eugene fell.

"NO! EUGENE!" Rapunzel screamed. "NO!"

"Did I not tell you?" Gothel whispered in her ear. "Mother knows best…"

...oOo...

Rapunzel sat straight up in bed, screaming. Her eyes wide in terror, she quickly gathered her bearings.

She was in her bedroom, safe and warm in her soft bed. Thunder rumbled outside her balcony door, lightning flashing as rain poured down onto the castle. Gothel was not back, and Eugene wasn't hanged…

Yet.

Rapunzel ran her hands through her short brown hair, grabbing at the jagged ends, desperately thankful, for the first time, that it was short. The blonde hair that had brought Eugene's life to an end was gone. He wasn't gone. He was still here.

She threw back the covers and set her bare feet on the cool marble floor. She walked over to the balcony and looked outside at the thunderous weather. Gently she reached out her hand and allowed the cold drops of water splash against her skin. It felt refreshing, almost as if the rain were wiping away her fears, all of her problems. Before she knew it, Rapunzel was outside on her balcony, her face tilted towards the sky, the rain soaking her.

How many times had she sat inside that tower and listened to thunderstorms rage around her, hear the light pitter patter of the rain on the roof that lulled her into a gentle sleep? How many times had she longed to do what she was doing now, standing here, _outside_, letting the rain wash over her body?

And now, here she was. She had a family. She had two parents that loved her, that had never stopped loving her, had never stopped trying to help her find her way back home for eighteen long years. She had a father who wanted to protect her, wanted to make her laugh, wanted to preserve her happiness. She had a real mother that chatted with her over hot tea and stroked her hair when she was frightened, and not because it possessed a power that would keep her young forever. She had a kingdom that looked up to her, their next leader, and cared for her, a kingdom that loved her. And she had Eugene, who would do anything for her, who would gladly take even the noose for his past for her, who would die at a moment's notice for her.

And now…

Suddenly Rapunzel found herself turning on her heel, running back inside her bedroom. She flew to the door, yanking it open and sprinting down the hall. Even in the dark, she knew exactly where she was going.

Gasping for breath, she finally reached her destination. The guard standing outside the heavy wooden door straightened at the sight of the soaked princess, confusion evident on his tired face.

"Princess," he said, bowing slightly.

"Please, can I see him?" She huffed. "It's important."

"Of course, Princess," The guard said, bowing again, remembering the Queen's strict instructions regarding Flynn Rider's visiting rights. He turned to the door and Rapunzel heard the sound of tumblers turning, and the guard yanked open the door.

Rapunzel hurried through the open doorway, sending a grateful smile towards the guard.

Flynn was curled into a small ball in the corner on the pile of straw, fast asleep. His boots were leaning against the wall, his navy vest next to them, folded neatly. He was snoring just slightly, and she smiled as she silently crossed the room to look down at him.

The thunder vibrated through the tiny cell, almost deafening. As she gazed down at the sleeping form of her beau, she wondered how in the world he could sleep through it all. She supposed that living a life on the run as he had for so many years made one well apt to adapt to one's surroundings.

"Eugene?" She whispered. She reached out to shake him. "Eugene."

Flynn rolled over slightly in his sleep, batting at her hand.

"No oatmeal, please…" He muttered softly.

"Eugene, wake up!" Rapunzel shook harder.

"I'm allergic to fluffy things…so keep the fuzzy frog away…" Flynn mumbled.

Rapunzel had had enough.

"EUGENE!" She yelled.

"FRYING PAN!" Flynn shouted as he bolted awake, amber eyes wide with confusion. He looked next to him at Rapunzel, soaked clean through, her hair and clothes clinging to her. Instantly his mind snapped to the horrible weather outside the stone walls, and he grabbed her into his warm embrace.

"Rapunzel, what are you doing here?" He whispered. "Why are you all wet?"

Rapunzel shook against him, and whether it was from being wet and cold or whether it was from grief and fear, he couldn't tell. All that mattered was that she was here, right now, in his arms – and in his prison, he noted dryly – and he'd be damned if he didn't try to find out what was wrong.

"I went outside." Rapunzel said simply. "It's raining."

Another clap of thunder rattled the stone walls, and Flynn shuddered slightly. "I noticed."

"I-I had a dream." Rapunzel whispered. "A bad one."

Flynn's eyebrows knitted together in concern. Had it not only been a day since Rapunzel had comforted _him _in the aftermath of his own nightmare? And now she was having them? He shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Blondie." He whispered.

"Please don't leave me, Eugene." Rapunzel whimpered. "Please, please don't leave me."

Flynn hugged her close, tightening his grip on her.

"I won't." He said. "No matter what happens, I will _never _leave you. I'll always be with you. _Forever._"

Rapunzel nestled herself closer to him, relishing in the warmth his body provided. She sniffed and wiped a wet lock of hair from her eyes, slicking it back to plaster it to her head.

"You need to get back to your room and get into some dry clothes," Flynn said. "Before you catch cold."

Rapunzel knew he was right, but she really didn't want to leave him. Not just yet. Not when he was warm, and she was safe in his arms. Not when _he _was safe in _her _arms. Not when she was getting so sleepy…

She closed her eyes, and before she knew it, she was asleep.

Flynn sighed as he felt the girl's breathing deepen as she snuggled against his chest, and he knew she was asleep. Soaking wet and asleep. In his prison. In the middle of the night.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

Carefully he shifted Rapunzel's head to his shoulder, and cradling her, he carefully got to his feet. Obviously the poor girl was exhausted.

She certainly was beautiful when she slept, he mused as he glanced down at her sleeping face as another flash of lightning shone through the bared window, the thunder growing quieter as the storm moved on. Her round face was relaxed and gentle, free from any worry, her brown hair starting to spike back life as it began to dry.

Walking over to the door, he quietly called through the bars to the guard, "Hey, could I get some help here?"

The guard turned to look at him, clutching his spear tightly, almost as though he were worried Flynn would suddenly reach out and punch him in the jaw or something. Flynn couldn't say he blamed him, especially at this time of night.

"Where's the princess?" He asked.

"I've got her," Flynn explained. "She fell asleep. I need help getting her back to her bedroom."

The guard looked uncertain.

"I don't know…"

"Look, it's either you accompany me as I carry her back to her room, or you take her and leave me here, all alone, _unguarded. _I'm fairly certain the Captain wouldn't be pleased about that, now would he?"

That was the hook, line, and sinker. The guard opened the door without so much as a second thought, allowing Flynn to step through the door into the hallway. He pointed the spear at him slightly.

"No funny business, Rider." He said, trying to sound menacing. "It's to the Princess's room and then straight back to your cell, got it?"

"I swear." Flynn whispered.

The guard gave him a nod before clamping his hand down on the other man's shoulder. They began to walk down the halls, away from the prison. Flynn held Rapunzel close, balancing her with every step he took as though she were the most fragile flower in the world. And while she was far from fragile (she was, after all, near lethal with a frying pan), she certainly resembled a flower when she slept. She was a flower to him, anyway.

Before long they reached Rapunzel's room, the door still open from her hasty retreat into the night. They walked inside, and Flynn was careful to mind the paintbrushes and various other items strewn across her floor.

He leaned in close to her ear. "Rapunzel, wake up." He whispered. "You've got to change into something dry."

Rapunzel frowned in her sleep and she gave a faint groan of protest.

"Blondie, c'mon," Flynn said. "You've got to wake up just long enough to change into something dry and then you can go back to sleep, I promise. I can't do this for you."

Rapunzel cracked open one eye sleepily, blinking.

Gently, he lowered her feet to the floor. She rubbed her eyes as she wordlessly crossed the room to her closet, where she stepped inside, closing the door. A few moments later, she stepped back out in a new, dry nightgown.

Flynn smiled.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty," he said. "Let's get you into bed."

Rapunzel gave a cranky growl as she climbed into her bed. Flynn watched her as she laid back down, laying her head on her pillow, sighing as she relaxed.

Without a second thought, he reached out and gently tucked the blankets underneath her as she had for him the night before. A smile snuck onto her pretty face and she opened her green eyes to look at him as he caressed her cheek for a moment.

"I love you." He whispered, leaning in close to brush his lips to hers.

"I love you more." She said out of habit.

Unable to bring himself to finish the verse, he simply leaned over and kissed her forehead one last time before he turned his head to look at the guard, who waited expectantly at the door for him.

With one last glance at the sleeping Rapunzel, he allowed the guard to take him back to his cell in the prison.

* * *

**The scene I'm looking for in the fanart is this one: **

**Rapunzel standing on her tiptoes in a dress, her hands on the bars of Flynn's prison door, her head leaned against the bars. Flynn's face is visible behind the door, and Rapunzel is crying. I'd love for Pascal to be in there somewhere, but, eh...I guess you can think of it as the goodbye scene...it will be featured in the story later...**

**Thanks to the awesome output of people interested in drawing this! If you're still up to it, I'm incredibly excited to see the different preceptions everyone else has. :) **


	7. Fairytale

**Sorry it took so long! I've been working long hours at work, and it's put me severely behind in school. Seriously. No one understands how far behind I've fallen, and my education is more important. It's gotten so bad I'm seriously contemplating quitting my job. **

**Anyway, I have many people working on the fanart for this story, and _pixie blue _was the first to get one out there for me, and her art will soon be featured on my profile via link. :) Keep the fanart coming, guys, because I am loving the different ideas and beautiful artwork behind them all. :D**

**Anyway, here's your chappie! Let me tell you, I had so much fun writing the expert from _The Tales of Flynnigan Rider._**

**Oh, and sorry if this chappie sucks. Many a late night were spent writing this...**

**Chapter Song: "Have You Got it in You?" by Imogen Heap**

_**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. But I DID pre-order the DVD on Amazon! :D**_

* * *

**Hangman's Noose**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll_

...oOo...

Chapter Seven

It hurt the King of Corona to see his daughter in so much pain.

After eighteen years of being separated from her, he wanted nothing more than to protect her from the things that threatened her, protect her from being hurt in any way. He wanted to make sure that no force in this world would ever take his daughter away from him again, but now, he feared, that the weight of a broken heart was doing just that.

Rapunzel idly swirled at the food on her plate the next afternoon, having not touched a single morsel of it. She simply stared down at the tasty pasta the cooks had wiped up for the royal family, stabbing at the noodles with her fork, allowing the savory sauce the noodles were drenched in to slide down into an oily pool. Her face was downcast, her eyes red from crying earlier that morning. Her hair was its usual messy style, but the King noticed she hadn't bothered to slip on her tiara before coming to lunch.

He had to admit that it was incredibly quiet this morning without Flynn Rider there to serve as the icebreaker. The empty seat next to Rapunzel was hard to ignore, especially when his daughter was so downcast. On a normal morning, she would be bubbling and happy, her green eyes bright and shining, and Rider would be of a similar manner. Rider completed his daughter, and the King knew, deep in his heart, that he could not allow this execution to be done.

Rapunzel sighed as she quietly looked up at her parents. The King smiled sympathetically.

"I know you're upset about Flynn, my dear." He said softly. "And I'm sorry that what's done must _be _done."

"It's not your fault, Daddy." Rapunzel whispered.

The King reached over and placed his hand comfortingly on Rapunzel's.

"Why don't you find something to entertain yourself with, my dear?" He suggested. "Perhaps the library?"

Rapunzel smiled a little. "That sounds wonderful, Daddy." She said. She quickly stood to her feet. "If you'll excuse me, I think that's where I'll head now. I need to clear my head."

"Of course, dear." The Queen said. "We'll see you later."

"Oh, of course!" Rapunzel said. "See you then."

She quickly retreated from the dining area into the hallway. Perhaps her father was right. Perhaps an afternoon with a good book would clear her mind.

Rapunzel knew the way to the library quite well. Having grown up only reading three books her entire life, Rapunzel had never once conceived of the idea of more books than she could ever accurately count until she came to the kingdom on her eighteenth birthday and found the bookstore downtown. She had spent hours on her stomach on the cool wood floor of the bookstore, books spread out in a circle around her, completely in awe of the unlimited knowledge they held in their bindings. And when she came to live in the castle, she had discovered her family's extensive collection in the library, and from there, it had seemed that she had a new book every day.

Quietly she slipped into the peaceful room, closing the door behind her. Sighing deeply, she took in the smell of the musty pages of the older books, and the crisp, clear scent of the newer ones that muddled together to create a pleasant smell that was instantly pleasurable to one's nose.

Rapunzel had no idea what exactly she was looking for as she began to scan the shelves. She was completely unbiased when it came to reading material, which made it extremely hard for her to decide on any one thing. Eventually her finger passed over the worn bindings of a mahogany colored book, silver letters stamped into the binding. For some reason, she was drawn to the volume, and she gently pulled it from it's resting place on the shelf.

With a start, she realized just what book she had chosen.

_The Tales of Flynnigan Rider_

Tears choked in her throat, and she quickly looked away from the book.

"Oh, Eugene…" She whispered.

As much and as badly as she wanted to put down the accursed volume, she found that she could not. So instead of fighting it, she quickly found a chair and nestled herself into it, spreading the book out on her lap.

She began to read.

...oOo...

Before she knew it, two hours had flown by, and already Rapunzel was halfway through the book. She could easily see why Eugene loved this book so much. It was filled to the brim with humor and adventure, and even a little light romance. She found herself enjoying every single second of Flynnigan's adventures, and she almost felt as though she were right in the middle of them with him.

But now she was struck with intrigue. She had finally come to a part of the story in which Flynnigan was engaged in trying to rescue his friend and confidant Vincent, who had been captured by a hotheaded prince bent on bringing form and order to his kingdom, something Flynnigan Rider did not seem to take to heart very much, judging from his carefree lifestyle. Rapunzel couldn't help but consider the parallels between this particular expert and the state of affairs she found herself in with Eugene…

_Stealthily he snuck through the quiet corridors of the dark castle hallways, one hand on the hilt of his sword at all times. Flynnigan was not an idiot; he knew when to be alert, and when to be at ease, and this was not the time to be at all calm. This was the time for action, and with action came the rush, the adrenaline, of the fight, and with that came the wide-eyed vigilance of every part of his surroundings. He knew that there was a chance that his plan could fail, but he knew that he couldn't risk playing it safe. Flynnigan owed his friend that much. _

_After all, had Vincent not been there for him, no matter the dangers of his adventures? Had Vincent not been the one to see him through everything, to get **him **out of sticky situations? _

_He heard footsteps, and Flynnigan quickly pressed himself to the wall, hiding in the shadows, and watched as the guards passed him, completely unnoticed. As soon as he was sure they were gone, he continued onwards towards his destination. _

_Finally he found himself just around the corner from where Vincent was being held, and pressing himself to the wall once more, he took in a few calculated, deep breaths. This wasn't going to be easy, and from here on out, it was going to be a fight for survival. That was not a doubt in his mind. _

_Taking in one final breath, he charged around the corner, startling the guards protecting the entryway to the room where Vincent was being held. Before they even had time to react, Flynnigan raised his fist and punched them both in the face. They fell back onto the cold floor, completely unconscious. _

_Flynnigan searched the guards for their rings of keys, finally finding them. However, he had not anticipated for there to be so many, and for many moments he stumbled and fumbled with the different keys, trying to find which one fit the lock of the door in front of him. _

_Finally, he found one that fit, and with a single twist of the key, he was inside Vincent's prison…_

And then, Rapunzel had her answer.

...oOo...

Darkness had fallen over the kingdom several hours before, and hardly a creature stirred within the castle walls as Rapunzel silently made her way through the winding corridors. A long, dark cloak obscured her figure from recognition by any guards she might happen upon, the hood hiding her face and spiky hair. Under her arm was her beloved and trusty frying pan, and on her shoulder was Pascal, hidden beneath the cloak.

Rapunzel knew she had to act, and that she to act fast. For the most part she knew exactly what she was doing, but the quell of doubt still sent vibrations throughout her heart, and she often found herself swallowing panic, refusing to allow herself to become distracted from the task ahead of her.

Tonight was the night Flynn Rider escaped prison – again.

Rapunzel stuck to the shadows, just as Flynnigan Rider had, and carefully listened for anything that sounded remotely threatening to her plan. With Eugene's execution date fast approaching (now only four days away), and not yet an escape attempt, Rapunzel guessed that, like Eugene, the guards of the castle had succumbed to his fate, and accepted the fact that the man was going to hang, and that he knew that there was not even a possibility of pardon now.

But Rapunzel was determined to do anything it took to save him from the noose, even if it meant giving up everything she had. Of course her parents meant something to her; after all, they were the ones that had truly loved her for eighteen years, despite their being separated for all but about four months of her life. But her title as a princess, her crown, and the castle she now lived in were trivial in comparison to what Eugene Fitzherbert meant to her, and she knew that no matter the consequences, he was worth the effort and the price.

As she neared the prison unit of the castle, Rapunzel knew she had to be ready to act. Gathering ever ounce of courage she had, she quickly stepped into the hallway that would take her into the dungeons.

The cloak she wore was dark and long enough to prevent her from being seen by any prisoners that may have happened to have been up at such an obscene hour as it was, and her bare feet allowed for silent footfalls. She kept her eyes set in front of her, unmoving and determined.

Before she knew it, she was at Eugene's cell, and she noted that the guard that usually kept watch over him was slumped downwards, obviously dozing, albeit lightly.

Rapunzel pressed herself against the wall at the corner, and lifted her hand to her shoulder, taking Pascal into her palm.

"Alright, Pascal, here's the plan." She whispered. "You make some sort of noise, something loud, something that's going to wake that guard up and move away from his position at the door, just enough so I can sneak up behind him and knock him out and steal his keys. We're going to have to act fast, so once you've made your noise, come find me, okay?"

Pascal gave her a brave look, puffing out his little chest, and nodded. Rapunzel smiled and kissed the top of his head before stooping down and setting him on the ground.

As Pascal scurried off to find something to aid him in his given quest, Rapunzel slunk back into the shadows and waited.

Before long, a very, very loud crash echoed through the cold stone walls and Rapunzel winced. Well, she _had _asked for a big noise!

The guard next to Flynn's door jolted awake, clutching at his sword.

"What the hell?" He swore, going forward towards the direction that the loud crash came from. Suddenly a little green blip ran into the light of the torch on the wall, and the guard stopped short as Pascal froze, realizing he had been spotted.

Rapunzel gasped as the guard stooped down and grabbed her reptilian friend, just as he changed color to match the cobblestones a moment too late.

"I know you!" The guard said as he brought Pascal close to his face. "You're Princess Rapunzel's little frog!"

And then, suddenly, something heavy came down on the guard's head, and with what would have been a hilariously silly look on his face had it been on any other occasion but this one, he fell to the ground, completely unconscious.

"He's a chameleon!" Rapunzel said as she lowered the frying pan. She looked at Pascal, who had crawled on top of the guard's helmet, completely unharmed. "Grab his keys, Pascal!" She said. The little chameleon gave her a quick salute and quickly scurried down to the guard's belt, grasping the ring of keys from it in his mouth. He quickly deposited them into Rapunzel's palm as she stooped to pick him up. He quickly scampered up her arm back onto her shoulder.

Rapunzel was very happy to note that there were not as many keys on this keyring as the one that Flynnigan Rider had taken from the men he had knocked unconscious to rescue Vincent, and after fumbling with the few keys that _were _on the ring, she finally found the one that fit into the lock.

"Eugene!" She whispered urgently as she entered. "Eugene!"

Eugene was still fast asleep on his bed of straw, obviously unshaken by the loud crash Pascal had created. With a start, Rapunzel realized that more guards had probably heard it when Eugene had not, and they were probably on their way at that very moment.

She was running out of time.

"Eugene, wake up!" Rapunzel shook his shoulder. "Eugene!"

Eugene snorted as she snored, and mumbled something under his breath. Rapunzel looked at Pascal, who rolled his eyes and before Rapunzel could stop him, had positioned himself on Eugene's shoulder, and lashed his long tongue into Eugene's ear.

"AHHH!" Eugene bolted awake, causing Pascal to jump onto the hay. He blinked in confusion as his eyes focused on the cloaked figure in front of him.

"Rapunzel?" He asked.

"Eugene, there isn't time to explain!" Rapunzel let down her hood. "We have to hurry!"

"What? Why? What's going on?"

Rapunzel flashed him a grin.

"Flynn Rider is busting out of prison!"

Suddenly, the two of them were alerted to the sounds of guards in clanging armor rapidly approaching. Rapunzel quickly flipped her hood back up, grabbed her frying pan, and grasped Eugene's hand in her hand.

"Come on!" She said, hauling him to his feet. "We have to _go_!"

Although he was barely awake, Eugene went along with the girl, allowing her to pull him along, the both of them barefooted as they ran down the halls of the dungeons. They heard the yells of the guards as they realized that Flynn Rider had once again slipped right through their fingers.

"What exactly is the plan, Blondie?" Eugene huffed as they continued to run down the halls.

"I don't know!" Rapunzel admitted. "I'm making it up as I go!"

Eugene skidded to a stop, gasping for breath. Rapunzel stopped, looking back at him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Blondie." He said. "You mean to tell me that you just _broke me out of prison _and you _don't have a plan_?"

Rapunzel shrugged. "Well, yeah…"

"Where did you get a crazy idea like that?"

"The Tales of Flynnigan Rider…" Rapunzel mumbled.

Eugene's jaw dropped. "You read the book?"

"Yes! It was amazing! I can see why you loved it so much. And I got the idea from where Flynnigan rescued Vincent from the clutches of the evil prince and – "

Eugene opened his mouth to reply, but he found that a mixture of very little sleep and the rush from escaping from prison left him speechless. Instead he just shook his head, rubbing his temples.

Before Rapunzel even had time to ask him what was wrong, the clatter of the guards suddenly blasted their ears, as the guards had finally caught up to them. They turned to run the other way, only to be blocked off by another platoon of guards, spears and swords ready.

They were surrounded.

"Rider!" The Captain of the Guard flicked his head and a group of his men swarmed around Eugene, grabbing him and pulling him backwards, away from Rapunzel.

"No!" She started to cry. Her plan had failed. "No, please, let him go!"

One of the guards grabbed her upper arm, yanking her into a grip similar to the one they now held Eugene in, and her frying pan clanged as it hit the cobblestones. Eugene's head was hung in defeat, his amber eyes sad.

"Who is she, Rider?" The Captain demanded. "One of your former colleagues? How did she get into the castle?"

"She – "

One of the guards walked over to where Rapunzel was being held, and threw back the hood that shielded her identity. Everyone in the room gasped.

"Princess Rapunzel!" They said, all bowing. The guard holding her immediately released her from his harsh grip.

Rapunzel didn't know what to say as she stood there crying. Her plan had failed, and Eugene would still hang, possibly even sooner now! Surely there was a penalty for prisoners who escaped from prison that were recaptured. This was _not _what she had had in mind.

Her green eyes bore into Eugene's, and he tried to flash her a small, conquered smile.

The silence finally became too much, and the Captain broke it like thin ice.

"Take Rider back to his cell. Henry, you'll escort the Princess back to her chambers, safely. I'm sure tomorrow morning will be quite interesting for everyone here tonight."

Rapunzel saw him flash a hard look in Eugene's direction, and she tensed, overcome by a sudden grief. She hadn't helped Eugene at all. Just as she had done all along, she had only doomed him farther.

"I don't need an escort." She said softly as the guards began to drag Eugene away. "I can take myself back to my room, thank you, Captain."

And with that, she ran straight past the guards back towards the castle corridors that had suddenly become her new tower.


	8. Punishment

**Two fanarts up on devinatART! :D My day has been made! (Also, linkies coming soon! Promise!)**

**So here's chapter eight! The climax is building, and I promise you, it will be epic. So stay tuned! The next chapter will likely be a short one, but it will have significance, and I'm almost completely positive that chapter ten will be THE chappie! :D**

**And I know you're going to want to kill me...because yes, deep down, I am a very evil little woman who likes to hurt her favorite characters (I blame my best friend Sophie for this, as she trained me in the sadistic art of the epic Pain Scene, and she puts her favorite characters in some sort of pain...Every. Single. Time. ;D )**

**Chapter Song: "F**kin' Perfect: Radio Edit" by P!nk (This is the version without swearing. It fits so much better.)**

_**Disclaimer: Let's see...I own a Flynn Rider Barbie doll, a cast-iron frying pan, a bag of Tangled party candy, the entire soundtrack, Tangled stickers, and I now have a reserved copy of the movie via Amazon. And that's about it. **_

* * *

**Hangman's Noose**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll_

...oOo...

Flynn was not an idiot.

He knew what they did with criminals that escaped prison and were stupid enough to get caught.

As the guards marched him back down the hall towards his cell, he could feel their inward sneers in the very way they handled him, almost as though his body, made of skin, muscle, bone, and nerve endings, was something inconsequential. He had been in enough prisons and he had lived long enough to know that deep down, guards, especially prison guards, were actually very bored people that saw very little action, especially in such a peaceful kingdom such as Corona.

And Flynn knew what bored guards did with criminals such as him.

They finally reached his cell, and the guards shoved him inside. He stumbled inside and turned to face them, his face sullen, his eyes blazing in defiant anger.

"You're lucky your little girlfriend is the Princess, Rider," One said. "She got out of what's coming to you."

And for that, Flynn was eternally grateful.

He never even saw the first blow coming as the guard closest to him raised his fist into the air and struck Flynn across the face. Flynn stumbled, wincing as the pain began to set in.

"You know you're going to die sooner now, don't you, Rider?" Another guard, this one with a mustache, said as he joined in the game, bringing his foot up to kick Flynn in the stomach. "You just got another mark added to your list, and all it's done is bring you one step closer to the noose."

The men chuckled as Flynn heaved for breath from the blow to his stomach. They continued their assail on the prisoner, throwing punches, kicks, slaps, spit, and cruel words on what seemed like every square inch of his body. Eventually Flynn fell to his knees on the cold floor, where he curled into as tight a ball as he could manage, protecting his head with his arms. Steel toed boots dug into his abdomen, back, legs, and arms, sending his body reeling and rolling like it were made of no more than mere rags like a doll.

Poor, orphan Eugene Fitzherbert had seen this quite often in his life. And never did the blows hurt as bad as the wishing that it would all be over.

And then, just as it had started, it was over. Flynn's vision swam, the pain overwhelming as he gasped for breath amidst the broken and cracked ribs he knew he had sustained. He could taste the bitter twinge of blood at the back of his throat, and he felt it running down the side of his mouth. Coughing, he finally allowed his arms to drop from their place at the back of his head, looking up at the men who continued to revel in his downfall.

"Night, night, Rider."

With one simple kick to the head, Flynn Rider's world faded to black.

...oOo...

The news of Flynn Rider's great escape traveled fast throughout the castle, as well as the identity of his partner in crime. All morning the servants and guards had been incredibly quiet regarding Rapunzel, almost as if they were completely unsure as to what to say to her. A few had offered an apology, to which Rapunzel had gratefully accepted, but most simply gave her a respectful bow or nod and went about their business.

Even worse, her presence was not requested at the meeting called to discuss what should be done with Eugene.

So here she stood, pacing outside the double doors that led to the throne room, often stopping to press her ear to the smooth wood of the door to try and determine what was being said behind it. She could not tell anything from the few words she was able to make out, but she knew that it didn't sound…good.

She also knew her parents were most likely furious with her. After all, Rapunzel, the _princess_, had broken a condemned criminal, a lowly _thief_, out of prison, single handedly with only a chameleon for help, though she highly doubted the court would even begin to consider Pascal. She wouldn't be a bit surprised if they didn't even talk to her.

And she highly doubted as well that the court would even begin to see that what she had done, she had done out of love.

After a few more agonizing minutes, the doors opened, and a guard stuck his head out.

"Princess, you can come in now." He said.

Rapunzel took a deep breath before she stepped inside the throne room. Just as it had been on the day of Eugene's trial, the entire kingdom court had assembled inside, and her parents were atop their thrones. Rapunzel kept her eyes trained on the floor as she entered the room, unable to bear the disappointed and angry looks she knew her parents would most likely be giving her.

She was incredibly surprised when she was met with not looks of anger, but looks of sympathy and compassion from the both of them. Her mother stood to her feet and crossed the room to where her daughter stood, wringing her hands, and wrapped her arms around her.

"Mama, I'm so sorry!" Rapunzel said before her mother could even utter a word. "I wasn't thinking! I didn't mean to hurt you or Daddy, but I just wanted to help Eugene! I just wanted…I just wanted to save him. I understand if you're angry with me, but please understand…"

The Queen's eyes were warm as she placed a hand underneath Rapunzel's chin, tilting it so her daughter was looking at her.

"Rapunzel, sweetie, I _do _understand." She said softly. "And your father and I aren't angry with you. To be honest we expected something along these lines before it was all over with. You're not the kind of woman to sit back and watch, my dear, and that's something that everyone admires about you." She smiled sadly. "But I'm afraid that something had to be done."

Rapunzel felt her heart stop for a second, striking her terrified.

"Done?" She asked, quietly.

"Yes, done." A voice boomed. Rapunzel and her mother turned to find the short man from Eugene's previous trial appeared next to them. "Absolutely something must be _done._"

"What are you talking about?"

Rapunzel was almost afraid to ask.

The little man puffed out his chest, making himself appear bigger.

"There is a penalty for all crimes, Princess." He said. "And Flynn Rider broke out of prison."

"But I helped him!" Rapunzel exclaimed before the little man could go on. "So if you're going to punish him, punish me, too! It was all my idea!"

"Nonetheless, he went along with it." Shorty said. "And as for you, there is not much we can do at this point. Yes, what you did was a crime, but you _are _our beloved princess, and punishment for petty _thieves_," Rapunzel hated the way he spat the word 'thieves,' "Is not befittingof a princess."

Rapunzel shook her head. "If you're going to punish him, punish me as well." She insisted.

"We have decided on a, er, punishment for you, never fear that." Another court member said. "As for Flynn Rider, his punishment is much more severe. Far more severe."

"And what is his punishment?" Rapunzel asked. She felt the Queen hold her tighter, and she suddenly could feel herself beginning to feel queasy.

"We have bumped Flynn Rider's execution date from four days time to one days time." Shorty said. "He is to be executed at sundown tomorrow."

Abruptly, Rapunzel felt as though a rug had been yanked out from underneath her. She had feared that something along these lines would happen, but she had allowed herself to hope that perhaps the court would find it in their hearts to allow Eugene to live just a few more days, during which Rapunzel would try, yet again, to come up with a plan to save him. But now she didn't even have that.

Their time was up.

"A-and what's my punishment?" Rapunzel whispered after a moment's silence.

"You are no longer allowed to visit Rider." The other man said. "You will be present at his execution, but from now until then, you are not to see or be in any contact with him at all."

And then, with the rug, Rapunzel's entire life went from under her feet. She could only stare, dumbly, as the tears began to flood her vision, as she tried desperately to come up with something to say.

But what _could _she say? It was over. Eugene had lost this battle, and again it was all her fault.

She felt the Queen gently stroke her hair, whispering words that Rapunzel could not quite make out in her ear. Then her mother faced the court.

"If I may," she said, her voice strong and clear. "I request that Rapunzel be allowed one last visit with Rider. The two of them are quite close, and I feel that one last visit, supervised, of course, would do no harm. I myself will accompany her to his cell, and the visit will last no more than an hour."

She tightened her grip on Rapunzel's shoulders, and Rapunzel smiled gratefully at her.

The court seemed to ponder this for a moment, whispering among themselves. Shorty had rejoined them fleetingly, not wanting to be left out of anything, especially anything in pertain to the allowance of visiting rights between the Princess and Flynn Rider. After what seemed like an eternity to Rapunzel, the little man trotted back to his previous location beside her and her mother. Rapunzel and her mother looked up at the King, who still sat on his throne, almost at the edge of it, a worried yet hopeful look in his eye, and Rapunzel knew it was because he truly wanted to see that his daughter and Flynn got the goodbye they deserved.

"The royal court has decided to grant the Queen's request that Princess Rapunzel and Flynn Rider be allowed one last interaction before the execution tomorrow night." Shorty announced. "This court is adjourned."

Rapunzel almost felt a wave of relief, but the striking realization that the next time she would see Eugene – whenever that might be – would be her last. She felt her heart breaking all over again.

The Queen turned to face Rapunzel as everyone began to make their way out of the throne room, smiling sadly at her.

"I'm so sorry, my dear." She whispered. "I'm so sorry."

The King crossed over to join them, placing a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder.

"Daddy, isn't there _anything _we can do?" Rapunzel whispered.

"I'm afraid not, Rapunzel." He whispered. "I'm afraid not."

Rapunzel wiped away a tear that was making its way down her cheek. She opened her mouth to reply, to say something, anything, but she just couldn't find the words. So instead she did the only thing she could do at that moment: she turned on her heel and ran.

...oOo...

Flynn groaned as he finally began to regain consciousness, pain surging through his body in waves. It took a great deal of effort just to pry open his sore eyelids, and an even greater effort to move to even try and sit up and remember why, exactly, he was in such pain.

For a moment, he wondered if he was dead, but he quickly expelled that notion. If he were dead, he wouldn't be in pain. If he were dead, there would only be a calm, warm feeling associated with the feeling of flying, and a beautiful white light would be awaiting in front of him as he flew towards it. Flynn knew; he had died once. So this was definitely not death.

Slowly, with each new bought of pain, the memories of the night before came back. He remembered sleepily peacefully, only to be awoken by a slimy tongue to the ear. He remembered Rapunzel, disguised beneath a dark cloak, full of excitement and, at the same time, desperate to save him. He remembered the two of them running, barefooted, down the prison hallways together, and he remembered his recapture.

And he remembered the fierce beating he had taken from the prison guards after they had dragged him back to his cell.

Flynn could taste the stale blood at the back of his throat, and he swallowed painfully. He slowly, slowly sat up. He ran a hand through his thick hair, finding a large lump near the back of his cranium, and he remembered one of the guards kicking him in the head. Wincing as his fingers gently grazed it, he pulled back and began to examine the rest of his body.

He concluded, after poking at his tender torso, that he had at least three broken ribs, and bruises and cuts of various shapes, sizes, and colors littered the rest of his body, especially wherever contact had been made with bare flesh. Gingerly, he stood to his feet, swaying slightly as his vision swam from the strenuous movement. His body screamed in protest as he made his way across the room to the bucket of clean water in the corner, where he splashed some of the cool liquid onto his face, allowing it to wash away the blood and grime. He then cupped his hands together and drank, his raw, sore throat thanking him.

He turned when he heard the lock on his cell door being rattled, and a guard entered. He recognized him as one that worked in the castle, usually within the throne room or as an escort for any visitors of the royal family. Flynn fuzzily remembered his name, and he was pretty sure it was either Harry or Baris, but he couldn't be entirely sure. Still, he knew the man to be of a good nature, and he couldn't help but feel like he was a little nervous as he faced the former thief.

"The Royal Court has assembled and reached a verdict on your escape from prison," the guard said, clearing his throat.

Flynn slowly rose to his feet, fearing the worst.

"What is it?" He asked.

The guard looked regretful.

"Flynn Rider, your execution date has been hastened to tomorrow evening due to your escape last night with the Princess Rapunzel." He said. "By order of the court congregation." He added hastily, as if it were a side note.

Flynn felt his stomach rise into his throat, the panic levels reaching mountain heights. He swallowed it, trying to sound calm and collected.

"And what of Rapunzel?" He asked. "Is she being punished?"

The guard nodded after a moment's hesitation.

"What are they doing to her?" Flynn felt the fear beginning to resolve into anger.

"She's permitted only one last visitation with you before your execution, and it cannot be more than an hour long. The Queen will also be in attendance as a supervisor."

Flynn felt his blood run cold.

"But that's it, right?" He pressed, wanting more information. "She's not being punished?"

The guard shook his head.

"Not per se, but I believe your execution has greatly upset her." He said, lowering his voice. "I believe that the pain she feels is much worse than any punishment the courtsmen could ever conceive."

Flynn nodded.

"Thank you." He said.

The guard nodded once, then turned on his heel and exited the cell. Flynn heard the lock turn once more, again sealing his fate.

He sank to the floor, leaning against the wall for support, beneath the window through which bright, warm sunlight filtered in, casting shadows. He began to allow his mind to wander, from one subject to another.

But one thing remained constant on his tortured soul: how was he going to be able to handle Rapunzel's last visit?

Judging from all the other times he had interacted with her since his sentencing three days prior, Flynn knew she would extremely upset, if not completely inconsolable. And when she saw him in the state he was in now, with the obvious bruises he was sure his face harbored, as well as the ones that covered his arms, he was sure she would be livid. Rapunzel was a sweet girl, but he had seen her fierce and incredibly angry, and he had to admit that an angry Rapunzel was a scary Rapunzel, especially if she had a frying pan at her disposal.

Flynn quickly rolled down his pants legs in an attempt to hide the bruises, and then he tugged at his sleeves, managing to bring them to his wrists, successfully hiding them. He was sure his face looked like a wreck, but he was determined to put on a smile and make sure that Rapunzel knew he was going to be okay, no matter the next twenty four hours. He was determined to make their last meeting meaningful.

Rapunzel meant everything to him. He wanted her to know that. If he was going to die, he was _not _going to go without her knowing how much he loved her. He knew he deserved this, and he was willing to take it. Rapunzel was worth it.

Flynn could only hope she understood that.


	9. Farewell, Love

**Okay, first off, the links I promised are live and hot on my profile! :D**

**Second, this chapter DEFINITELY ended up being longer than I expected, but the next chapter will probably be even longer! I had a terrible time writing this chappie, because seriously, I have been _dreading _it. I sobbed. I mean seriously, I cried like a small child that ran into a doorknob. This chapter was heartwrenching to write, and so I hope that through the tears and massive amounts of caffiene needed to finish it I was able to pull off a good chapter. **

**Third, I just realized that I will be in Georgia and Florida seeing the ocean for my first time (my own personal lantern dream) when my pre-ordered copy of Tangled comes in the mail from Amazon! :'{ **

**CHAPTER SONG: "Cry" by Kelly Clarkson**

**_Disclaimer: Let's see...I own a Flynn Rider Barbie doll, a cast-iron frying pan, a bag of Tangled party candy, the entire soundtrack, Tangled stickers, and I now have a reserved copy of the movie via Amazon. And that's about it. _**

* * *

**Hangman's Noose**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll_

...oOo...

Rapunzel couldn't stay here.

Sitting alone in her bedroom, Rapunzel curled herself into a corner, hugging her knees to her chest as she tried to clear her head.

They wanted her to be at Eugene's execution tomorrow night.

That was not a thought that had ever once crossed her mind. The court knew how much she cared for Eugene; how could they _possibly _expect her to stand by and watch him drop to the noose? How could they possibly expect her to keep it together? How could they even for one moment even _think _she'd be in attendance?

Rapunzel knew she had to leave. A part of her knew that leaving wouldn't make it better, but she knew that she could never live with the memory of watching Eugene die again. Not again. Leaving, at this point, was the best option. If she left, she would not have to endure the horrible pain of watching Eugene die an undeserved death.

The only problem was, where would she go?

Rapunzel wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, stifling more hiccups as she did. She knew that the moment her parents found her missing they would send out search parties for her, and said search parties would locate her and drag her back to the castle like a slave, stand her right there in front of Eugene, and there she would be forced to let him fall. He would fall and there would be no way Rapunzel could ever catch him.

She ran a hand through her wild brown hair, tugging at the jagged ends that refused to grow. The little pixie cut she had become quite fond of as of late only reminded her of the last time Eugene had died. He had died for her then, just as he would die for her now. He had known the risks of bringing back the Lost Princess to her rightful parents. He had known that while he would not be arrested right there on the spot, he would still have to endure a trial in order to clear his – albeit fake – name. And he had known that there was a possibility that he could still be found guilty, no matter his affection for Rapunzel and hers for him, and no matter how the King and Queen ultimately felt about him.

And yet he had still taken that risk.

"Oh Eugene," Rapunzel whispered, shaking her head.

She thought back to the night before. What, exactly, had she been thinking? How could she possibly have thought she could successfully break him out of prison and get away with it? And where had she expected to go? Suddenly she found herself in the same bind she had been in last night, but this time she found herself alone. Where could she possibly run to where no one would find her?

Rapunzel wished she knew.

As she laid her chin on her knees, she noticed her little jar of paintbrushes and the little box that held all of her paints sitting on the floor near the wall not far from where she now huddled. She glanced up at the walls around her, at all the murals she had painted in the weeks since she had arrived here, trying to make her new home feel more like a home, more familiar, like her tower had felt. Painting the walls of the castle had helped her to fall a little more easily into her new life.

With a sudden burst of emotion, Rapunzel scurried over to the paintbrushes and the little box, grabbing the first brush and jar of paint she could get her hands on. She sprinted to the far wall, where she had not dabbed a single drop of paint on as of yet, and dipped her brush into the glittery paint.

Rapunzel let out every single emotion she had in that very moment. She painted in a way that she had never painted before, channeling her focus into the bold strokes and bright colors. In the painting she let loose the feelings of anger at the unfairness of Eugene's upcoming death; the deep, profound grief she felt about losing her love; the undivided feelings of uncertainty at the possibility of leaving…

Slowly, slowly she began to feel just a little better.

...oOo...

It had been hours since the court had made their decision regarding Eugene, and the Queen had not seen or heard from her daughter since she had run from the throne room.

The Queen was a sensible woman, full of compassion and understanding. She _understood _why the court made the decisions it had, but that did not mean that she _agreed _with them. In fact, she couldn't help but feel angry at the whole situation. The Queen was not a woman to stand by and watch, a trait she had passed on to her daughter, and now that Flynn Rider's execution was to be carried out, she, too, felt extremely helpless. However, she knew that she had to stay strong, for Rapunzel's sake. Tomorrow would be a hard day for everyone, but especially for Rapunzel.

Quietly, the Queen made her way towards Rapunzel's bedroom, stopping right outside the large doors. Sighing, she raised a hand and gently rapped the wood.

"Rapunzel?" She said. "Rapunzel, sweetie, are you in there?"

The sound of a surprised "Oh!" and shuffling could be heard from somewhere inside, and within a few seconds the door opened and Rapunzel poked her head out. Her face and hair were streaked with different colors of paint, and her eyes held a pink tinge to them, indicating that sometime recently the girl had been crying.

"Oh! Mama!" Rapunzel said as she slipped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

The Queen smiled. "I see you've found some way of expressing yourself." She said.

Rapunzel chuckled, lightly. "You could say that." She said.

Despite the obvious joy Rapunzel found in her artwork, the Queen could easily see the sadness almost quite literally painted across her daughter's face. Whatever that painting was of, it showed exactly what Rapunzel felt.

"I think now would be a good time to visit Eugene, dear." The Queen said gently. "I doubt that anytime tomorrow will be…any less painful."

Rapunzel nodded. "Give me a moment to wash up." She said softly. She turned to her door and slipped back inside. The Queen made no attempt to follow her; it had been apparently clear from the moment Rapunzel had stepped out into the hallway that she didn't want anyone to see her newest mural…at least not yet.

A few minutes later, she reappeared, her face and hair clean. Without a word, the mother and daughter made their way down the halls of the castle, slowly but surely approaching the prison unit.

The closer they came to Eugene's cell, the closer Rapunzel came to more tears. How in the world was she going to say goodbye now, in only an hour? Rapunzel never wanted to say goodbye at all, let alone in just a single, painfully short hour! And how was she possibly going to be able to apologize for the trouble she had plunged the two of them into, for the horrible consequence of Eugene bringing her here? How was she possibly going to be able to tell Eugene she loved him, and know that he knew it? How was could anyone possibly expect her to find peace in an hour?

She almost bumped into her mother; she was so lost in thought, not realizing they had reached their desired destination. The Queen smiled sadly at her for a moment, and Rapunzel offered her a smile back, but it fell almost immediately, and she bit her lip nervously.

The guards needed no explanation. They immediately stepped aside and allowed Rapunzel to go through the door.

She saw the figure of Eugene slumped against the wall, his head in his hands. He hadn't noticed her entrance.

"Eugene?" She whispered as she walked closer.

When Eugene looked up at her, Rapunzel reeled back, gasping. Eugene's face was littered with bruises of various shapes and sizes, a small gash over his left eye. Despite the stuffiness of the small cell from the summer air that blew in through the tiny window, she noticed that Eugene's pants legs and sleeves had been rolled down to cover what she had no doubt were more bruises.

"Eugene…" She breathed, finally. "What happened?"

She fell to her knees beside him, gently reaching out to take his hands in hers.

Eugene swallowed, not wanting to look her in the eye.

"The guards." He whispered.

Rapunzel frowned. "The guards? What?"

"It was…my punishment. For escaping prison."

Rapunzel shook her head, tears springing into her eyes. "So it's my fault." She said, softly. "Again. All of this is my fault!"

"No." Flynn immediately reached out and pulled her close, burying his face in hair, pressing a kiss to her head. "No no no no no no no. No. None of this is your fault. Not ever. Don't ever think that, Rapunzel."

Rapunzel clutched his shirt in her hands, nuzzling her head against his chest, choking back the large sobs as her small body shook.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry, Eugene."

He held her closer. "Don't be."

She pulled back from him, studying his face, taking in his injuries. "How bad did they...beat you?" She asked.

Flynn swallowed. "It wasn't pretty." He admitted.

Rapunzel looked at his chest, rising and falling, and she could hear faint wheezing whenever he took in a breath. They had hurt him, badly. It made Rapunzel angry to think that such practices of cruelty went on behind closed prison doors, to any prisoner. It wasn't right.

"Here, let me see." She instructed. "Move towards the window so I can see better."

The two of them stood and moved towards the light, and Flynn slowly peeled the white cotton shirt from his chest. He leant against the sill while Rapunzel gently probed at his injuries, giving his upper body a thorough examination, just as she had when Gothel had stabbed him.

Rapunzel noticed the huge bruises along his ribcage, and he cringed whenever her fingers brushed the purple skin there. Smaller bruises spotted his torso, as well as a few scrapes and cuts.

Her fingers traced a long, thin, but very noticeable, white scar right below his ribcage, and she frowned in confusion.

"Where did this come from?" She asked.

Flynn's eyes flicked towards the scar.

"That's where Gothel stabbed me." He explained. "Back in the tower."

Rapunzel remembered quite clearly. It stood out above all other events in her life with perfect clarity, and she remembered every heart rendering second that had passed as he died there in her arms.

"It left a scar?" She shook her head. "I guess I never thought to ask before. I had never healed anything like that before when I still had my hair; just little things like scrapes, bruises, things like that. I once fell and sprained my ankle, and it healed that, too, but…I had never healed anything like a stabbing before. And it was really my tears that healed you, the last little bit of magic I had left in me…but now it's gone…"

Flynn smiled, trying to lighten the mood. He knew their time was short, and he wanted to make the best of every last second he had with Rapunzel before it was all over.

The two of them sat there in silence for a moment as Flynn replaced his shirt and Rapunzel wrung her hands.

"They want me to be at your execution tomorrow." Rapunzel finally blurted when she could take the silence no more.

Flynn looked at her, his expression flabbergasted. "What?"

"The court said I'm to be at your execution tomorrow," Rapunzel explained, tears flooding her vision once more. "I-I don't think I can do it, Eugene."

Flynn shook his head before he reached out to take Rapunzel's face in both hands.

"Rapunzel, listen to me," he said, his voice serious. "I want you to run. Get out of here, out of the kingdom. If they can't find you, they can't force you to come."

"But, Eugene, where would I go?"

Flynn ran a hand through his hair, thinking hard.

"The tower." He said finally. "I know it's not going to be easy, but you can get there in less than a few hours if you take Maximus. No one will find you there."

Of course; the tower! Why hadn't she thought of that before? Rapunzel loved her life in the castle with her parents - and Eugene – so much that she hadn't given the tower in which she had spent eighteen years locked away from the world much thought. Of course she missed it sometimes, but that was incredibly rare…

"But, Eugene, I – "

"Rapunzel, please, do this for me." Flynn knew she was about to protest. "Think of it as a final request." He saw Rapunzel's face twist with grief at these words, but he pressed on. "Please, Rapunzel, don't be here tomorrow. Me hanging from a rope is not how I want you to remember me."

"That's not how I'll remember you." She said. "I'll remember you as the wonderful man you really are, a man who doesn't deserve this!"

Flynn shook his head. "Please, Rapunzel," He said. "Run. Don't be here tomorrow. I need you to promise me."

He knew how serious Rapunzel took promises. He knew that if he could get her to promise to not be there for his execution, she would keep it.

Rapunzel was quiet for a few moments, allowing tears to run down her cheeks as she studied his face, as if memorizing it, as if trying to make out if he were being serious or not. But he knew she understood.

She lowered her head and looked at the floor. "I promise, Eugene."

Flynn took her into his arms. "Thank you." He breathed. "I need you to promise one more thing."

Rapunzel's head turned against his chest, as if to hear him better.

"I need you to promise that after tomorrow, you'll come back here. Promise me that you'll go on without me, that you'll come back here and find someone new and get married and live out a new dream. Promise me you'll be happy, no matter what. This kingdom _needs _you, Rapunzel. You've been their hope for over eighteen years, and one day, they're going to look up to you as their queen. This kingdom needs their lost princess."

Rapunzel let out a single sob as she held him tighter. She didn't _want _this kingdom to need her. She didn't _want _to come back here and live without him. She didn't _want _anything without him! What didn't he understand? She knew the kingdom needed her, but she needed him.

"I promise." She heard herself saying.

Flynn kissed the top of her head, letting it linger there for a long time as he struggled to find the right words. He knew their hour was coming to an abrupt end, and he still had so many things he needed to say to her.

"Rapunzel, I love you." He said as he pulled her back to look at her. "_I love you._ I've loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you, and I'll love you even after forever. I want you to know that."

"I do, Eugene, but – "

"I'm not finished," Flynn interrupted her. "I want you to know that everything I've done, I'd do again, even if it would always lead to this moment. I wouldn't change a single thing. Don't ever forget that. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Rapunzel."

"Eugene…" She shook her head and he lent forward to lay his forehead against hers. "I love you too."

They wrapped their arms around each other, and stood there, just like that, until the sound of a key turning in the lock caused them to look up. The Queen stood in the doorway, her face full of regret as she gazed at the two of them.

"Rapunzel, it's time to go, dear." She said softly.

Rapunzel held tighter to Flynn, never wanting to let him go. More tears began to fall as she closed her eyes tightly, pressing herself as close to Flynn as she could. Flynn lifted her chin to meet his gaze, and she opened her eyes.

"I love you, Rapunzel." He whispered to her. "No matter what happens, I am always going to love you."

Rapunzel brought a hand up to touch his face for a moment, carefully minding the bruises.

"I love you more, Eugene Fitzherbert." She whispered back.

Flynn's lips gently pressed against hers. The two of them poured out their hearts and souls to one another in that one, simple, agonizingly short kiss, neither of them ever wanting it to end, never wanting to say the horrible words lingering in the air above their heads like thick fog:

_Farewell, my love. _

Flynn gently guided Rapunzel to the door, where he gave her hand one last squeeze as the door was closed between them. Rapunzel stood to her tiptoes, allowing her to see him one last time behind the bars, and he reached a hand out to caress her cheek one last time as more tears poured from her eyes, smiling at her, encouraging her to stay strong.

Tenderly, the Queen reached out and took her daughter by the shoulders, pulling her away from Flynn. She looked at him sympathetically, and he gave her a short nod of understanding as she turned Rapunzel away from him and led her back down the hall.

Rapunzel cast one last glance over her shoulder at Flynn just as she and her mother rounded the corner.

The last glimpse she would ever have of the man she loved would be of his forehead pressed against the bars, his face one of complete and utter defeat.

She wished she could have seen his amber eyes one last time.

* * *

**PS - Yes, you will find out what Rapunzel's mural was of in the next chappie. :3**


	10. Endless

**Well, it only took a few late _late _nights, about a gallon of fresh hot tea, one bubble bath, three days off from work and school (mid-semester break for the school part, and pure luck for the work part), another fanart submission, and a quart of Limited Edition Starbucks Peppermint Mocha ice cream to get this chapter done, but I did it. :) **

**So, here's the chappie! THE chapter you've been waiting for! It's going to be pretty damn epic, and I don't have just one chapter song, but instead have two: "My Immortal (Band Version)" by Evanescence, and "The Heart of the Matter" by Don Henley (and if I had to suggest one to listen to over and over while reading this chapter, I'd say listen to Don Henley all the way!). I mean seriously, this was a depressing chapter to write! But I had fun writing it, because I'm as anxious as the rest of you to find out what happens!**

**I hope this chapter doesn't suck...tell me if it does, okay? Because seriously, I'm just as worried as you are to know how it ends, and I hurried through it. O_o And I hope my explainations make sense, too. Because they make sense to me...just saying...**

**Enjoy!**

**_Disclaimer: Nope. Nada. Nien. Nothing. _**

* * *

**Hangman's Noose**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll_

...oOo...

Flynn didn't sleep at all that night.

And of course, who really expected him to? It was, after all, the last night he would spend on earth. By this time tomorrow night, he would be dead, swinging mercilessly from the end of a rope, never to see another sunrise.

He had lain down on his straw bed hours before, trying to find some small place of peace in his ever restless mind. He wanted badly to just go to sleep, succumb to the comfort unconsciousness held in its velvet arms, and not wake up again until they came for him the following evening. Perhaps then he could be free from the guilt and rising feeling of panic he felt.

Of course Flynn was afraid. Any man staring into the face of death would feel afraid. Courage was not an absence of fear; instead, it was the thing found between the walls of fear, between the bubbles of terror that seemed impossible to burst. Courage was being afraid, yet not backing down.

Flynn knew that he deserved this. He felt it in every aching muscle, every batting eyelash, every pore of his body. For years he had lied, stolen, cheated, walked on every innocent soul he had come across. So many people he had deceived, had used…their names he did not know, nor even their faces, but the fact that somewhere, they existed, and at some point in time, he had hurt them. And that weighed heavy on his conscience.

He knew that after years and years of petty thieving, he deserved the noose.

But that didn't mean he wanted it.

No, what Flynn wanted, more than anything, was a second chance. He wanted the chance to change, to start life anew, to be the man he knew he was capable of being: a good man that cared about people, that did good things. He wanted the chance to right the wrongs he had made, even if indirectly.

In the end, he just ended up pacing.

He paced from one end of his little cell to the other, running his hands through his hair, ignoring the indignant screams of protest from his battered and sore body. His mind wouldn't stop, and Flynn found his entire life flashing in front of him in little snippets of memory. He remembered his time in the orphanage all those years, his rise into thieving. He remembered all those nights he had spent sleeping in the streets, in cold doorways, trying to survive another day. He remembered all those days he had gone hungry, all those times the older kids at the orphanage had picked on him for being such a dreamer. And he remembered his first steal. Sure, it had only been an apple from a street vender, but it had been the pivotal moment in his life in which he had decided that maybe life a thief would be easier than life as an orphan. That was the day he had decided that it would be easier to be Flynn Rider than Eugene Fitzherbert.

Flynn found himself at the little window, gazing up at the moon in the sky, at the stars twinkling. Those stars reminded him of Rapunzel's eyes, the way they, too, sparkled with a shining radiance whenever he looked at her.

_Rapunzel. _

How she had changed his world! He had never seen someone with such life, such spirit, all pent up in one small body, such pure energy and innocence together in one place. And he loved her for it. She had opened his eyes to everything he had been missing. She had shown him who he was, and in the midst of it all, had helped him to see just what it was that he wanted to be. More than death, he supposed, he feared never seeing her again.

But the more and more he dwelled upon his death the following night, the more and more he had to fight of the panic, the feelings of nausea that threatened to overcome his ambition to hold back the bile rising at the back of his throat. He was afraid. He was afraid of what death held. He had experienced it once, and while it had not been unpleasant, there was were still so many things he wanted to do.

He wanted to redeem himself. He wanted to marry Rapunzel and wake up to her beautiful green eyes every morning, and hold her in his arms every night. He wanted to have children, and watch them grow up into wonderful adults and go off and have kids of their own. He wanted to right the wrongs he had made in his life. He wanted to help people, not hurt them. He wanted to smile, to laugh, to feel right for once in his life, whole. He wanted to be free from all that he had run away from for so long, be free from his past, so that maybe, just maybe, he could find a place in his future.

He sat down and buried his face in his hands. Unashamedly, he let a few tears flow freely from his eyes, soaking the skin of his palms. What did he have to lose with a few tears? Who was going to see or hear him anyway? The guards outside his cell were too busy preparing for tomorrow to really even bother to notice the lowly thief inside, too busy readying themselves for the demise of the infamous Flynn Rider to actually care about the man himself, and what he felt about anything, but especially his death.

Flynn Rider cried.

No, that wasn't right.

_Eugene Fitzherbert _cried.

He cried to his lost dream, his lost love, his lost potential.

But more than anything, he cried for his lost life.

He couldn't deny it anymore than he could deny the fact that he was scared to the very core of tomorrow: he wanted _life. _

...oOo...

The sun had just begun to rise by the time Rapunzel reached the tower. She had left the castle a few hours before under the cover of darkness, leaving a note for her parents on her bed, promising to return the next morning, explaining her reasons for leaving, hoping beyond hope that they would understand and not send a search party out for her, not that they would ever find her. She had spent eighteen years hidden away in this tower, and she highly doubted that anyone would be able to find it now.

She had packed only a few things into the satchel that had once held her crown inside of it, things that she wanted to have if she needed them, such as her beloved frying pan, a few spare coins, a candle and a few matches, and a small bundle of bread and cheese to eat. Pascal had come along with her, perched upon her shoulder, snuggled into the hood of her cloak, a very sad blue shade. He, too, mourned the loss of the lovable thief, and he hated seeing his best friend so sad.

Rapunzel had quietly snuck along the castle corridors, encountering no guards or servants that might try and stop her, though she had kept her frying pan close in case she happened upon any. She had found her way to the stables easily, and inside she had found Maximus keeping watch over the other horses, almost as if making sure they stayed in line. He had been quite pleased to see the young princess, but as the kingdom's head of law, he knew oh too well why she was here. And due to his absolute adoration of the pretty young girl, it had not taken much to convince him to take her to the tower.

And now here she was, back at the place she had hoped she would never have to encounter again, climbing the hidden staircase that she had gone for years without knowing of beneath the cool cobblestones of the tower floor, leaving Max in the valley below to munch on a few blades of dewy grass.

The tower was exactly as she had left it that fateful day all those weeks ago. Dust had settled in a thin layer over everything, but everything was just as she remembered: the shelves of pottery and bowls near the oven, the three books she had read over and over again. The candles she had made, the little table and two chairs where she and Gothel had shared meals and stories. Her paintings still covered the walls, as bright and meaningful as the day she had painted them. And the broken shards of mirror still littered the floor. Her shorn hair, nearly seventy feet of it, still coiled around the room like a brown snake skin, and Rapunzel swallowed the huge lump at the back of her throat as she tentatively stepped over it, crossing the room to the staircase that led to the little nook she had called her bedroom. The chains that had held Eugene remained there on the banister, cold and unmoving, reminding her of the shackles that would cruelly hold his arms behind his back in only a few hours time as he stood in place as a noose was placed around his neck. She quickly looked away and turned towards the window, opening the latch and throwing back the shutters, letting in the light. Birds flew away, tweeting excitedly at having been disturbed so abruptly.

Pascal scurried down her arm onto the windowsill, and Rapunzel tried to offer him a small smile of encouragement.

"Well, Pascal, we're back." She said. "It's almost like…visiting an old friend, isn't it?"

Pascal squeaked.

"I know the castle is home now, but…it wasn't so bad living here." Rapunzel said in response. "A little claustrophobic, maybe, but not bad."

The little chameleon gave a small shrug of indifference and Rapunzel held out her hand, letting him climb back up her arm onto her shoulder.

Again she carefully made her way to the bottom of the staircase, climbing the slightly creaky boards towards her nook. She sadly gazed around the small space that she had called her own, sighing deeply as she made her way over to sit on the bed.

She gazed up at the ceiling above her, her murals stretching as far as she could reach, the kingdom suns now sticking out to her with perfect clarity. She looked down at her hands, and pulled the small purple flag from inside her sleeve. She remembered the last time she had sat here on her bed, holding this same flag close. She remembered how badly her heart had ached when she had confronted the woman she had known as her mother and she told her of Eugene's certain demise.

But that pain was nothing compared to what she now felt.

She felt the tears welling up in her eyes again, and with a quiet resolve, she laid down on the bed and began to cry.

She cried for the helplessness she felt. She cried for Gothel, because no matter the fact that she had lied to her, Rapunzel had still loved her. She cried for Eugene, her lost dream, her lost love.

Eventually, she cried herself to sleep.

...oOo...

It had been a long, horrible day by all standards, but it was far from over.

In just a few hours time, Flynn Rider would hang.

The King and Queen had not seen or heard from their daughter all day. They had knocked on her door a few times, and, having received no answer, deemed that their daughter simply wanted to be alone, and had left her in peace. They couldn't blame her a bit for being reclusive; after all, the man she loved was to die that very day, and there was not a thing she could do about it.

But now it was time for the three of them to be together. They hoped that perhaps, as her parents, they could bring Rapunzel some sort of comfort in this time of pain, and the court expected them to be in attendance at the execution.

Quietly they knocked on Rapunzel's bedroom door again.

"Rapunzel, sweetie," the Queen said softly. "It's time to get ready."

Still, there was no answer. The Queen turned to look at her husband, who gave her a bewildered and worried look.

"Rapunzel?" The Queen tried again. "Rapunzel, sweetie, are you alright?"

With that, she set her hand upon the door handle and opened the door, sticking her head in.

"Rapunzel?"

The room was completely empty, save for the open double doors that led to her balcony, the curtains fluttering in the soft summer breeze. The bed was made neatly, and a white envelope sat gently upon the lavender duvet.

Their daughter was gone.

"She's gone!" The Queen quickly entered the room, her husband following closely behind. She hurried over to the bed, and picked up the white envelope. Opening it hastily, the Queen recognized her daughter's bubbly handwriting. She began to read aloud.

_Mama and Daddy – _

_I'm so sorry to do this to the two of you, but I can't be at Eugene's execution today. I know I'm not strong enough to sit back and watch him die, not a second time. Please try to understand. _

_Please don't send any search parties after me; they won't find me. I'm going to a place where no one can find me, but I promise I'm safe; I took Maximus and my frying pan with me, so don't worry about that. I can take care of myself. I'm sorry I can't tell you where I'm going._

_I promise you that I will return to the kingdom immediately following Eugene's execution. I promised Eugene that I would last night, and when I make a promise, I never, ever, go back on that promise. _

_Please forgive me._

_Love your daughter, _

_Rapunzel _

"Oh Rapunzel," the Queen whispered, placing a hand over her heart as she shook her head sadly. "My poor Rapunzel."

The King wrapped his arms around his wife, and she turned to face him, her green eyes deep with a profound sadness for the pain her daughter was going through.

It was then the Queen noticed the mural on the far wall of the room.

Rapunzel's _new _mural. The one she had been working on yesterday when the Queen had come to get her to take her to her final meeting with Flynn…

She pulled away from her husband, and walked towards it, studying it closely.

The mural was set up into three parts. The first showed Rapunzel and Flynn together, holding hands and smiling happily as they walked through a garden together, pretty bluebirds and sunflowers all around them. The second showed Flynn being pulled away from her by an undepicted force, Rapunzel's arms outstretched towards him, tears streaming down her face, while Flynn's arms were shackled, but also reaching for her. And then the third showed Rapunzel all alone, her face turned downwards as though looking at the ground, her arms wrapped around herself.

The King came up behind her, his blue eyes confused as he, too, studied his daughter's artwork.

"But…what does it mean?" He asked.

"It means goodbye." The Queen said, softly.

...oOo...

It was late afternoon before Rapunzel awoke again. At first she was completely unsure of where she was, but at the same time, she found herself comforted by the familiarity of wherever it was she happened to be. She quickly sat up, her vision still blurred from sleep and crying, and groggily looked around her, wondering why she was here and how, exactly, it was she had gotten there.

Slowly she recognized the room where she was as her nook in her old tower. She rubbed her eyes for a moment, clearing it over the left over sleepiness as she stretched.

And then, she remembered everything.

Eugene's execution. Running away to the tower. Crying herself to sleep.

Rapunzel suddenly felt the undeniable urge to know what time it was. Quickly she scurried from her bed and down the staircase into the area of the tower that had operated as a kitchen, peering at the clock on the wall. The little hands miraculously still moved, the clock humming with a comforting ticking as it did so.

It was nearly seven o'clock.

Sunset was in two hours.

In two hours, Eugene would die.

Rapunzel inhaled sharply as she brought her hands to her head, tugging at the ends of her brunette hair. She screwed her eyes closed tightly, willing the aching feeling deep in her chest to go away.

Backing away from the little clock, she nearly tripped backwards over the tangle of hair at her feet. Rapunzel spun around and fell to her knees onto the cool floor of the tower, and she buried her face in her hands, emotion completely overcoming her for what had to be the hundredth time in less than a week.

She felt a little scaly hand reach out and pat her knee, and she peered through her fingers to find Pascal, who gave her a small smile.

"Oh, Pascal," she whispered. "What am I going to do?"

It was then she spotted something near the foot of the staircase, something she hadn't noticed before. Slowly she lowered her hands and cocked her head to the side, narrowing her eyes, trying to make out just what it was she was looking at before she crawled over the lengths of hair to the chains that Gothel had used to tether Eugene to the banister. She moved aside some of the hair there to reveal that some of the cobblestones were stained a dark, rusty color.

Reeling back, she realized it was blood. Dried blood.

_Eugene's blood. _

"Eugene…" She whispered.

Memories came surging back, flashing in front of her eyes as though she were reliving them. She remembered Eugene climbing the tower, and her knocking him out with her frying pan. She remembered him waking up, tied up with her long blonde hair in one of the kitchen chairs. She remembered bartering with him to get him to take her to the lantern festival. She remembered the feeling of the grass beneath her toes for the first time, the feeling of the wind on her face. She remembered the Snuggly Duckling, and their frantic escape from the kingdom guards, their getting trapped in that small cave, their almost drowning. She remembered their talk by the campfire that night, her confrontation with Gothel, and their journey into the kingdom. She remembered their dancing in the village square, their boat ride out into the center of the lake to watch the lanterns fly into the sky. She remembered almost kissing him right there in the middle of that lake, only to be interrupted by the Stabbington brothers. She remembered the feeling of her heart breaking when the Stabbingtons lied and told her that he had traded the crown – _her _crown, she would later find out – for her hair. She remembered him coming for her, after she thought him dead, and Gothel stabbing him. She remembered begging Gothel to allow her to heal him, and she remembered him slicing off her nearly seventy feet of hair just to save her, to make sure that she was free and alive and happy, even if it meant his life.

And she remembered him dying, right there, in her arms.

Eugene Fitzherbert died right there on that floor in her arms just a few short weeks before, and now he would die again at the hands of the kingdom she called her own.

And then, it hit her.

Eugene Fitzherbert hadn't died on that floor that day.

_Flynn Rider _had.

Flynn Rider had changed. Flynn Rider had died. Eugene Fitzherbert had come back to life with his transformation, with his death.

Suddenly she realized, horrified, that with this realization came the one that it was not, then, Flynn Rider they planned to hang in just a few hours time.

It was her Eugene. Her Eugene Fitzherbert.

"Pascal!" She said, looking at her friend. "Pascal, they can't hang him! They can't hang Flynn Rider, because they're going to hang Eugene!" The chameleon scampered up her arm, a shocked expression on his little face as he turned a confused shade of orange and chirped. "I know, it's confusing, but I don't have time to explain! We have to get home! Right now!"

She held the little chameleon up to her shoulder, and he scampered there. Rapunzel looked around the room at the hair. She knew she would need some visual proof, or the court would never even think about listening to her. She grabbed the hair, still as soft and silky as the day it was cut, and quickly bunched it up in her arms. She frantically searched the room for a way to carry it, spotting the satchel not far away. She hurried over to it and dumped the small bundle of cheese, bread, candle and matches, and quickly stuffed the hair into it as much as possible. Some of it still trailed out behind her as she hurried towards the trapdoor at the other end of the room. She did one last glance around the small space before turning back to the task at hand, and hurried down the dark stairs to the valley below.

Max, who had been grazing peacefully, looked up as she and Pascal ran up to him. He spotted the hair immediately, and he gave Rapunzel a quizzical look.

"Max, I don't have time to explain!" Rapunzel gasped. "But we have to get back to the kingdom, before sunset! Can you do that for me, boy? Eugene's life depends on it!"

Max gave a nod of the head and neighed loudly. He turned his body around, allowing Rapunzel to climb on. Slinging the satchel securely over her shoulder, Rapunzel did so, holding onto Max's mane with both hands.

"Hold on, Pascal!" Rapunzel instructed the reptile on her shoulder. "Alright, Max, let's go!"

With a whinny, Maximus bolted from the little hidden valley at top speed.

At any other time, Rapunzel would have been terrified. She hadn't been riding horses for very long, but she trusted Max, and now was anything but the time to be afraid. In fact, she was going to have to summon every ounce of courage she had ever had in order to pull of this feat, and she knew it. Time was of the essence here.

But inside she was absolutely petrified. What if she didn't get back in time? What if the court refused to listen?

All that mattered was getting there in time. She couldn't let them do this. She just couldn't.

And all the more, as she raced back to the kingdom, the sun sank lower and lower in the sky.

...oOo...

Flynn knew his time was short even before the guards came for him. He could feel it in his bones, deep down. He didn't need a clock to tell him that the time was drawing near, nor did he need the light outside as any indication.

Judgment day was here.

He didn't pace around his cell. He didn't poke fun at the guards outside his door as he had at the beginning of the week. He didn't even try to reason with his lacing emotions. No, instead, he lay on his mound of straw, staring at the wall, submissive to his defeat. He had no reason to fight, no reason to escape, and he knew he deserved his punishment. Rapunzel was gone, and there wasn't even the slightest of chances that he would ever see her beautiful face again, so what reason did he have to try and fight what he could not change, what no one could change?

The answer: he didn't.

Flynn could hear the clicking of the guard's boots and the slight clattering of their armor as they neared his cell, but Flynn made no move to get up and greet them. His very resolve was gone. Come what may.

They entered his cell, three of them, the Captain of the Guard at the head of them.

"Get up, Rider," the Captain spat. "You're time's up."

Flynn sighed as he heaved himself up and onto his knees, then his feet. He looked down at his vest and boots, folded neatly next to his straw bed, and quietly slipped his arms into the familiar fabric of his vest, but he didn't bother with his boots. What good would they do him where he was going? He took a deep breath and turned to face the guards.

"Hey, fellas," he said, no mirth in his voice at all. "What's up?"

The guards didn't speak a word as two of them crossed the room to grab his arms and tightly shackled them behind his back, ensuring no funny business could be made. They dragged him along, down the hall. Prisoners jeered and mocked at him. They knew a prisoner on the infamous walk of shame when they saw one, and one even managed to spit in his face. Flynn cringed and wiped his cheek against his shoulder, riding himself of the vile mucus that smelled strongly of alcohol.

Eventually they came to the door that led back to the castle, and then the musty, damp walls of the prison faded away into the pristine walls of the castle.

Flynn, who had kept his eyes trained on the floor most of way, glanced up and around him, if only to gain some sort of memory of the place he had hoped to spend the rest of his life with Rapunzel. But he wasn't expecting to find the King and Queen standing there, just a few feet away from him, sad expressions on their otherwise jovial faces. The guards immediately came to a halt and bowed, and one of them pressed down on Flynn's shoulder, forcing him to do the same.

"You majesties," the Captain said.

The King nodded at him. "Captain." He acknowledged. He looked at Flynn. "Might my wife and I have a word with Rider for a moment?"

"Of course, your majesty." The Captain flicked his head, and the two guards holding tight to Flynn's arms released him. The King motioned for him to follow him, and while the guards made sure he was never out of their line of vision, they allowed the condemned prisoner to go with the regal man.

Once they was sure they were out of earshot of the guards, the King and Queen stopped and turned to Flynn.

"Rapunzel's gone missing." The King whispered. "She left us a note saying that she made a promise to you. Is this true?"

Flynn nodded.

"Yes, your majesty." He said. "I-I didn't want Rapunzel to see me…not like this."

"But she's safe?"

"I promise you, Rapunzel's safe, and she'll return to you." Flynn said, looking down at the polished marble floors once more, finding it hard to look into the eyes of the two people who had been so kind to him, despite his past. It wasn't the place of a dead man. "I give you my word."

The Queen reached out and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he cursed himself for shaking so badly. But the Queen only gave him a motherly smile and she pulled him into a hug, despite him not being able to hug her back.

"I'm so sorry, Eugene," she whispered.

Flynn, despite his initial surprise, allowed himself to lean into her warm embrace. She was as close to a mother as he had ever come, and for that, he would be forever grateful, no matter his death soon.

Flynn felt the warm hand of the King on his back, and he looked up at the older man, whose blue eyes were full of regret. He pulled away from the Queen and looked at them both.

"Thank you…for all you've done for me." He said earnestly. "I've never felt like I've ever had anything close to a family before…Rapunzel's lucky to have you for parents."

The Queen smiled. "And she's lucky to love someone like you." She said.

The Captain loudly cleared his throat as he approached his charge and the Royal pair.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we have to get going." He said, no regret whatsoever in his voice. Flynn felt himself begin to tremble again, having allowed himself to calm down for just a few precious moments, and the King clamped a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, of course." He said. "Thank you, Captain."

The Captain gave the King a single nod and a bow as the two guards came up behind Flynn and grabbed his arms again, pulled him back and away from Rapunzel's parents. He cast one final glance over his shoulder at them as he was dragged down the hall towards his doom, and then they were gone, just as he would be in only a few minutes time.

...oOo...

Rapunzel knew she was running out of time.

They had been riding for nearly an hour, at top speed, and finally the castle loomed ahead. Max bolted across the bridge that stretched across the river towards the woods, running as fast as he possibly could, yet no matter how swift he seemed, the sun seemed even swifter, sinking farther and farther down into the horizon. Rapunzel knew that Eugene was to be hung at sunset, and that was now only minutes away, and if she didn't reach the castle in time…

They finally reached the village, and Max bolted through the square where Rapunzel had once danced with Eugene on her eighteenth birthday what seemed like almost a lifetime before. People hurried to get out of their way, some giving a few screams of protest as they did so, but Rapunzel was far from worrying about any of that right now. Her main concern was reaching Eugene in time.

"Come on, Max!" She said into the horse's ear. "We're so close!"

The horse gave her a neigh of agreement, and with another burst of energy, he sped ever closer to the large structure Rapunzel called home.

As they came close to the front gates, Rapunzel saw that they were closed, two guards standing on either side of them. If they didn't open those gates, how would they get through?

"Open the gates!" She screamed at them. "Please, open the gates!"

Recognizing the familiar white stallion and his petite rider, the guards hurriedly opened the huge metal gates that led into the inner walls of the castle. Max bolted through, Rapunzel ducking her head down in a moment of fear that they would surely not fit through the small opening.

"We have to get to the courtyard, Max!" She said. "That's where they're taking Eugene."

She knew Maximus understood when he did a sudden turn and took a shortcut through the gardens, racing towards the prisons. He knew this area well, Rapunzel supposed, because he found an open door without any trouble at all, and he quickly ran though it and up the narrow stone staircase to the next level.

He made stop there, allowing Rapunzel to climb down, her legs numb and wobbly from her wild ride. But she pressed on, leaving Pascal on Max's saddle as she held tight to the satchel that held her hair as she ran. She ran down the unfamiliar hallways in what she hoped were the right direction, her heart racing and her blood pumping.

_Please, please, please, **please **don't let it be too late! _She silently prayed as she ran.

She paused for a moment, one tiny moment, to catch her breath next a window, just as she had in her nightmare, and she peered down into the courtyard, her heart doing a small flip as she realized she was, indeed, going the right way. But her moment of jubilation ended when she saw that her parents had taken their place at the side of the small crowd that had formed to watch the execution, including the entire court and a few guards with drums that would help guide Eugene to his death through their music. She saw her father nod, and she saw two guards enter the area, Eugene between them, his being almost mirroring that of her nightmare, his feet bare, his clothes dirty, and the look of absolute defeat on his bruised, handsome face about killed her. He paused at the base of the steps to the gallows, looking at the noose at the center, and she saw him sigh as he set one foot in front of the other, climbing the stairs to his doom.

"Eugene!" She screamed, hoping maybe he could hear her. "Eugene, no!"

But he couldn't hear her. No one could hear her.

She saw the guards place Eugene in front of the noose as another unrolled a piece of paper, no doubt the decree announcing his fate.

She took this moment to begin running again. She knew she had just a few, precious minutes to get down to that courtyard while the guard read Eugene's sentence to the crowd, and she wasn't about to waste a single one.

As she ran, she passed more windows that overlooked the courtyard, and she saw that the guard had rolled his paper back up, and the drums began to roll. Rapunzel propelled herself forward, crashing through a door at the end of the hallway, nearly jumping the entire staircase in her haste to get to the bottom. She was now at ground level, but she still was not yet at the courtyard. She passed yet another window, and she saw that the noose had been placed around Eugene's neck, tightening it, his face turned towards the sky. She saw him close those amber eyes for the last time, and she heard the drums pick up in tempo, signaling the moment when the lever would be pulled and Eugene would drop.

There was the door, the door that would take her to him.

She ran through it.

The guard's hand was on the lever.

"_STOP!_"

* * *

**Did you know this chapter was 5,697 words long? (That's not including my author's notes!) :D**

**I apologize for the cliffhanger. ;)**


	11. Eugene

**First off, I apologize that it's so freaking _short_ and a little crappy. It makes me want to hide a little, but I hope I'm forgiven. :)**

**So guess who had an incredibly slow night at work (I work in a deli, and I seriously waited on one person in two hours. Thank you, Michigan weather!) and got to write the next chapter incredibly fast? Robin did! :D Not to mention as soon as I got home, I was lucky enough to have "Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Edition" on WGTE Toledo to inspire me. And seriously, it inspires me. A lot. It sort of reminds me of the struggles I'm sure Flynn would go through in his transition from Flynn to Eugene. :)**

**I apologize for that horrible cliffie in the last chapter, but I couldn't help myself. xD What can I say? I love keeping you on your toes. ;)**

**Enjoy, my dears!**

**CHAPTER SONG: "Awake and Alive" by Skillet**

**_Disclaimer: I just got the letter from Disney today. It says I don't own Tangled. And I cried. A lot. _**

* * *

**Hangman's Noose**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll_

...oOo...

What happened in the next fifteen seconds came as a complete blur.

Rapunzel stumbled into the courtyard, still holding tight to the satchel that held the evidence she would need to clear Eugene's name, and made a beeline for the gallows and Flynn.

Flynn, meanwhile, made a split second decision, and though he knew it would hurt, he made a single leap into the air, and quickly brought his legs up, jumping through his chained arms like a hoop, twisting them in front of him, grabbing at the noose. He had something to fight for now, his will to survive, to live, coming back all at once. He wasn't about to die here, not with Rapunzel watching.

However, Rapunzel's desperate cry startled the guard at the lever, and as he reeled back to see what was going on, he pulled the lever with him.

The trapdoor beneath Flynn disappeared, and he fell.

Rapunzel leapt onto the platform of the gallows, dropping the satchel.

"_NO!_" She screamed.

She ran over to where Flynn hung, desperately clawing at the noose around his neck. He had loosened it enough to the point where he could breathe, and it hadn't snapped his neck, but he had his entire weight on his upper arms as he kicked about for some sort of foothold, holding tight to the rope. One slip, one little fail of strength, and he was done for.

"Cut the rope!" Rapunzel cried at the guard. "Please!"

The guard, completely unsure of what to do, looked towards the King and Queen for answers, over the heads of the now restless crowd of the royal court. The King swung a hand towards his daughter.

"Do as she says!" He bellowed.

The guard gave a single nod and grabbed the hilt of his sword, bringing it out of the sheath. With a sweeping motion, he raised the glinting blade and severed the rope of the noose.

Flynn tumbled to the ground, hacking violently. Guards rushed over to him to help him, grabbing his arms and hauling him upward. He fell to his knees, still coughing, onto the boards of the platform, and Rapunzel hurried over to him.

"Eugene!" She said, reaching out and taking his face in her small hands, stroking back his hair as he fought for air, taking in greedy gulps as he tried to focus on her face. Rapunzel took hold of the noose, and as gently as she could, loosened it and slipped it over Flynn's head, tossing it aside disdainfully.

After a few moments, Flynn finally caught his breath, and he looked at the girl next to him.

"Rapunzel," he stated.

"Yes, Eugene, I'm here." She said. "I came back."

"But – " Flynn didn't have time to ask any questions, as three pairs of hands reached out and grabbed him once more, hauling him roughly to his feet, wrenching, pulling at his sore body. The guards yanked him away from Rapunzel, holding him tightly in place, and the Captain of the Guard pointed his sword at Flynn's throat, the sharp tip nearly poking at the tender skin.

"Alright, Rider, start explaining," he growled.

"Explain what?" Flynn said, still a little disoriented.

"I know you had something to do with this!" The Captain said. "The Princess disappears, then magically reappears just as you're about to hang, creates a diversion. You then do a little set of acrobatics and rid yourself of the noose, and give us the slip. I know your little game!"

"Stop!" Rapunzel said, stepping in front of Flynn. The Captain immediately lowered his sword. "Eugene didn't have anything to do with this! This is all _my _idea. Just like it was to break him out of prison!"

"Your Majesty, you – "

The Captain was cut off by the King and Queen quickly making their way up the stairs to where their daughter and Flynn Rider stood, followed closely by the short man that had presided in both of Flynn's trials.

"Release him at once!" The Queen ordered of the guards holding Flynn. They reluctantly relinquished their harsh grips on the thief, but they did not remove the shackles on his wrists, stepping back and bowing slightly at the royal majesties.

"Princess!" Shorty proclaimed. "What is the meaning of this?"

Rapunzel turned to look at him.

"Please, you have to listen to me!" She begged. "You can't hang him! He's not Flynn Rider!"

When she was met with confused looks from her parents, Shorty, and even the man in question himself, she quickly sprinted to where she had dropped the satchel. Her hair had begun to spill out of it, and she gathered it up in her arms.

"He's not Flynn Rider," she repeated. "Because Flynn Rider died."

"What are you talking about?" The Captain said. "Of course he's Flynn Rider!"

Rapunzel shook her head. "You don't understand!" She said. "You can't this man! His real name is Eugene Fitzherbert, _not _Flynn Rider." She held up the lengths of dead brown hair.

"As you all know, when my mother the Queen was still pregnant with me, she became very ill, and the entire kingdom searched for a flower that was said to have grown from a drop of sunlight and had healing abilities.

"Well, that flower's healing abilities were passed down from my mother to me though my long blonde hair. The woman who kidnapped me, Gothel, did so because she knew that my hair would keep her young, as the flower had, and prevent her from turning into dust. But if my hair was cut, it turned brown and lost its power. That's why it was so long, and that's why it's brown now."

"But what does this have to do with Flynn Rider?" Shorty demanded.

"See, that's the thing!" Rapunzel said. "When Eugene escaped prison the day after my eighteenth birthday, he did it because he knew I was in danger. He escaped and found me back at the tower where Gothel kept me hidden for eighteen years, and when he climbed the tower, Gothel stabbed him.

"I made a deal with Gothel that if she let me heal him, I would go with her willingly and stay with her forever. But when I was just about to sing the healing incantation, he cut my hair to make sure that Gothel couldn't use it anymore, and he died because I wasn't able to heal him"

"Then how is he here now?" The Captain said, gesturing towards the man in question with his sword. Rapunzel moved closer to Flynn, clutching at his arm.

"The last little bit of my magic came out in a tear." Rapunzel explained. "It fell on Eugene and healed him."

"This is preposterous!" The Captain said. "How can _tears _bring someone back to life?"

Rapunzel felt anger flush in her cheeks. _Why _wouldn't they listen to her? Surely there was enough proof to back up her story…

"He has the scar to prove it!" Rapunzel said. "Gothel stabbed him on the right side, just under the ribcage. Show them, Eugene!"

Flynn, still dumbstruck by the events unfolding in front him, quickly pulled up his shirt to expose his torso, and the Queen took in a quick breath of shock at the sight of the dark bruises that covered him. Rapunzel quickly pointed to the thin scar, carefully minding her fingers, not allowing herself to touch him in fear of hurting him further.

"See?" She said. "That's where he was stabbed!"

The short man turned to face a few of his colleagues that had come to join him on the platform, the King joining them.

The Queen, meanwhile, could not hear what was being said between the courtsmen and her husband, but she hoped that it was something to do with allowing Eugene to live. She looked at her daughter, who had taken Eugene's cuffed hands in her own tiny ones, holding them tightly, their fingers intertwined. Rapunzel and Eugene didn't say a word to each other, they simple stood there, lost in each other's eyes, each other's simple touch, and it broke the Queen's heart. She couldn't bear to imagine that Rapunzel's brave act had been in vain.

Finally, the courtsmen and the King turned back to face them. Shorty spoke.

"Princess, we have decided to take the evidence you have provided us with into consideration. A meeting will be held tomorrow to discuss what should be done with Ri- Mr. Fitzherbert from here."

"You mean," Rapunzel squeezed Flynn's hands. "That you're not going to hang him?"

The tall man behind Shorty stepped forward.

"For the time being," he warned. "Tomorrow's meeting will decide."

Relief washed over Rapunzel. Eugene was not going to die!

Not yet, at least.

"In the meantime, Mr. Fitzherbert is to be escorted back to his cell in the prison. You are free to visit him as you ple- "

The King cleared his throat, cutting off the tall man.

"If I may interject, I believe this man has seen enough of prison walls. I want him moved back into his room in the castle, with guards for supervision, of course." He said. "No matter tomorrow's decision, I believe he deserves a good meal, a hot bath, a comfortable rest, and proper medical attention for the injuries he has sustained." The King shot the Captain a glare, and the Captain looked away in shame.

The tall man nodded. "As you wish, Your Majesty." He said. He turned to the guards. "Please escort Mr. Fitzherbert to his room in the castle."

The guards gave him a nod, and began to steer Flynn away from the crowd and down the steps of the gallows, away from Rapunzel, who hung back, biting her lip, reluctant to let him out of her sight when she had come so far to save him. He shot her a grin over his shoulder, and she gave him a smile back, the promise that they would see each other later sealed.

She felt the Queen's gentle hands on her shoulders, and she turned to look at her.

"Go." She said. "We'll talk later. Go to him."

Rapunzel smiled and gave her mother a quick hug before she sprinted after the guards and Flynn. The Queen smiled and she felt her husband come up behind her, taking her hand in his own.

"Our daughter truly is extraordinary." He said. "Absolutely amazing."

"That she is." The Queen agreed. "That she is."

...oOo...

The level of relief that filled Flynn could only be described as something akin to the feeling of flying. He was utterly and profoundly happy to be alive, so happy in fact, he was almost at a complete loss of words.

Upon reaching his room, the Captain give Flynn a firm shove into the lush chambers, and he stumbled as his bare feet found traction against the cool marble floors.

"You got lucky today, Rider," he spat, the venom dripping from his voice like a snake.

Flynn gave him a grin. "Yeah, well, I guess I'm just a lucky guy."

"You wouldn't be so lucky if the Princess wasn't your little girlfriend." The Captain said.

Flynn cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh, you mean my girlfriend, the Princess, who happens to be standing right behind you?" He asked with a smirk.

The Captain gave him a confused look before turning to find that, indeed, Princess Rapunzel stood behind him. His face flushed red as he gave her a respectful bow.

"Princess," he said.

"Captain," Rapunzel said back. She crossed the room to where Flynn stood, and she frowned at the shackles that still adorned his wrists.

"Would you remove these, please?" She asked of the Captain, who quickly, yet reluctantly, made his way over to remove the cuffs. Flynn rubbed his chaffed wrists, rolling his aching shoulders. Maybe twisting them from behind him to in front of him while still cuffed hadn't been such a good idea, but in the end, a few aches and pains were worth it if he got to continue living, if only for another day.

As soon as the cuffs were removed, the Captain gave a final nod before he turned to his men, and they left the thief and his princess alone.

Within seconds, Rapunzel launched herself at Flynn, for a moment forgetting about his injuries. She buried her face in his vest, inhaling his scent, reveling in the fact that he was here, he was safe, and he was _alive. _

He wrapped her in his arms, lifting her off her feet for a moment as he held her as close as he possibly could without crushing her.

"Eugene…" Rapunzel whispered.

"Sh, don't talk." Flynn said, stroking her hair. "I'm here."

"I love you." Rapunzel said. "Eugene Fitzherbert, I love you. Please, please, please don't ever leave me alone."

He pulled away from her. Forget tomorrow. Forget that he wasn't necessarily a free man as of yet. Forget that he might still die with the coming dawn. Forget everything but this moment, this moment with this beautiful, amazing girl.

"_Never._" He whispered, and captured her lips with his.

Tomorrow could wait. At least they had today.

* * *

**See? I so didn't pull a Pocahontas. :) **

**I feel like Flynn/Eugene's predicament, shall we say, is a bit more complicated than just Rapunzel showing up, waving some pretty solid enough evidence in the faces of the court and them setting him free. I feel like the evidence should be weighed and taken into consideration before our Flynn/Eugene is completely cleared and set free. His case is complicated as it is, and I feel like his pardoning (if it even happens, might I add) should be done just as his condemnation was. Make sense? **


	12. Enough

**OH MY GOD. AUDIOBOOK. OF THIS FANFICTION. ON TUMBLR. HELLYEAHTANGLED. OH MY GOD. I had a Squee!Moment and nearly died of happiness! :D**

**Seriously, I don't know why, but I enjoyed writing this chapter. It flowed well, I guess you can say. :) But this story is by no means over yet. There's still another chapter or two, and then I have an entire "chapter" dedicated to thanking everyone who reviewed and made this fanfiction amazing. :)**

**But anyway, enjoy, and I surely hope I did a good enough job with this trial scene...as my last two didn't go so well...heh...let me tell you, the speeding ticket I received in Berkley, OH on my way to Toledo most certainly _did _inspire this. ;)**

**Anyway, enjoy. ;)**

**CHAPTER SONG: "Had Enough" by Lifehouse**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own it. Dammit. :'(_**

* * *

**Hangman's Noose**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll_

...oOo...

His dreams were plagued with nightmarish scenarios that night.

Because no matter that he was back to sleeping in his bed in the castle. No matter that he had not hung that day. No matter that his bruises and broken ribs from the harsh beating he had taken had been seen and attended to by the royal physician. His life was still in the hands of the courtsmen tomorrow, even with Rapunzel's evidence. If they decided he should hang, then hang he surely would this time. He had escaped the noose twice now, and he doubted a third was on the horizon.

Still, he couldn't help but evaluate the rest of the options that the court had to work with.

On the one hand, they could pardon him. They could very well believe Rapunzel's story, and find that her evidence, however little it might be, was enough and declare him a free man. He would get his second chance, his chance at a new future.

On the other hand, there was the chance that they would still decide on some form of punishment. They could condemn him to something as simple as community service. They could make him a slave, forcing him to work in a yard for the rest of his life. They could sentence him to prison time, which, considering what he had been though the past week, wouldn't be enjoyable in the least. They could whip him. They could banish him from Corona.

And then they could condemn him to death.

Whatever the courtsmen decided was to be done.

He only hoped that it would turn out alright.

Flynn took a deep breath, as deep a one as he could manage with his tightly bandaged ribs. He was doing a pretty good job keeping himself calm, he found. He figured that a week in prison awaiting your death would do that to you. But he still couldn't help but feel worried, if not for himself than for Rapunzel.

She had done so much, come so far, just to be with him, to save him. He wasn't sure how, judging from how she had taken to him falling through that trap door earlier that evening, how distraught she had been all those times she had come to visit him in that jail cell, she would take if they still ordered his death.

Flynn swallowed, staring up at his ceiling in the dark room. He couldn't give up, not just yet. There was still hope that he _could _walk away from all this. There was still hope that tomorrow could turn out just as everyone hoped it would. Rapunzel had given the court evidence in his defense, albeit very little evidence as well as her word, but evidence nonetheless.

He only hoped it was enough…

...oOo...

"The re-trial of Flynn Rider will now begin. Again."

Flynn cringed at the short man's emphasis on _again _as he stood in front of the monarchs and the court once more. He felt Rapunzel's soft, warm hand enter his, squeezing gently. She smiled at him, offering him some of her confidence, and he tried to give her a smile back.

This was it. Whatever was decided today, right now, was to be done immediately following.

And yes, he was terrified. He couldn't seem to get his knees to stop shaking, no matter how hard he tried, and his palms were sweaty against Rapunzel's. He couldn't say he was prepared for whatever it was the court decided, but at least he had the knowledge of acceptance. At least he had gotten one last night, one last chance to hold Rapunzel, one last chance to tell her how much he loved her.

That was enough.

He took in a deep breath and nodded. He was ready.

Shorty strode across the room.

"I must say, you have been quite the troublemaker, Mr. Rider." He said. "You've created quite the uproar throughout this court as well, I might add. You've been sentenced to death three times now, and escaped the noose twice. What do you have to say for yourself, before we begin with the examination of the evidence at your defense?"

Flynn looked at Rapunzel at his side, and smiled at her. He looked back at Shorty.

"It was worth it."

Shorty raised an eyebrow. "Worth it? And how so?"

"With all due respect, I know the severity of my crimes, and I understand that some form of punishment is mandatory, and that I deserve whatever punishment it is that I get, even if it means hanging, but I think it's worth it. If I hadn't been a thief, if I hadn't stolen that crown, then I never would have found Rapunzel, and she probably wouldn't be here now." Flynn said, without so much as missing a single beat in his explanation. "If I hadn't been a thief, I never would have stolen the Lost Princess's crown, and if I hadn't done that, then I never would have found something that is of infinite more worth than any amount of money or priceless jewel." He looked Shorty in the eye. "So I believe it was worth it."

Shorty nodded a few times, his gaze never leaving the ex-thief for several moments before he finally looked away, pacing in front of the court once more.

"Last evening, your execution was interrupted by the Princess Rapunzel, who brought forth a few objectives of evidence, the first being an incredible length of hair she claimed used to be blonde and harbored magical healing abilities. Having discussed the possibility that the healing power of the flower that saved our Queen's life – " He nodded towards the Queen, "—could have been passed on to the unborn Princess through her hair, as well as knowing personally that the flower actually existed and _did _hold healing powers, we have decided that this is credible enough."

Flynn felt Rapunzel squeeze his hand, and he felt a small glimmer of hope begin to rise inside his chest.

Perhaps this _would _end well.

"We have also looked into the records on hand of a certain Eugene Fitzherbert, whom you claim to be. It was found that he was an orphan, the illegitimate son of a lord and chambermaid, his mother dying of typhoid fever when he was but two years of age. It was also found that he lived in the South Side Orphanage on the outer edge of Corona until he was sixteen years of age, when he ran away and was never heard from again."

Flynn nodded, casting his eyes down towards the plush rug beneath his feet for a moment as the memories came flooding back once more at the mentioning of his childhood.

"I didn't want to be Eugene Fitzherbert anymore." He said quietly. "As childish as it sounds, I guess I reasoned that at least as Flynn Rider I was wanted. Not in the way someone with a childhood like mine hopes, but wanted all the same, even with a bounty on my head. As Flynn Rider, at least I was somebody. Eugene Fitzherbert was just a poor orphan that nobody ever gave even a second glance."

Short once again studied the man standing before him for a moment, as though his bright blue eyes pierced right through Flynn's soul.

"If I may speak," Rapunzel said, laying a gentle hand on Flynn's arm. "I didn't fall in love with Flynn Rider. Flynn Rider only cared about himself, only cared about the next steal. But Eugene Fitzherbert cares about other people, about being a good person. Flynn Rider died that day in the tower, but it was Eugene Fitzherbert that came back to life."

"He died, you say?" Short interjected. "And yesterday you presented us with the evidence that a scar is found on this man's body where your captor stabbed him."

Rapunzel nodded.

"However, you must realize that this piece of evidence must be held in high speculation," Shorty said. "That scar could easily be from a prior injury. And scar can easily be painted onto the skin, and you seem to have a fondness for painting, Princess."

Rapunzel opened her mouth to speak, but her father quickly stood to his feet, his eyes like fire as he crossed the room to stand next to his daughter and Flynn. He stood directly in front of Shorty, and for a moment, Flynn was afraid that the older man would strike the smaller.

"How _dare_ you accuse my daughter, your own Princess, of lying!" He thundered. "I have had quite enough of this nonsense, Mr. Johansson. I believe my daughter to be telling the truth when she says that Flynn Rider died that day. Eugene has never once given me a single moment of doubt in his intentions and character since he showed up here with Rapunzel nearly a month ago. And while yes, there is no denying that at one time he was indeed Flynn Rider, and he was, indeed, a thief, since he arrived here, he has not stolen a thing. He has not lied, he has not cheated, and he has been nothing but pure and gracious in his manners and morality. He never once asked for a reward for finding the Lost Princess. I know that he truly cares about Rapunzel, and that he truly regrets the past he lived as Flynn Rider. He has shown me that more than once."

Flynn was speechless. While it was true that the King had spoken a good word for him at his first trial, that paled in comparison to the fight he was now engaged in with Shorty, or Mr. Johansson, as he had been referred to as.

The King continued, "I believe this man deserves a second chance, and while I understand that thus far I have entrusted civilian matters such as thievery and domestic disputes in your hands, Mr. Johansson, this case ends here today. Flynn Rider has died. You cannot hang an innocent man, and Eugene Fitzherbert is just that."

Mr. Johansson puffed out his chest.

"Are you _firing _me, your majesty?" He countered.

The King took a step forward, stooping slightly to where his nose and the shorter man's were nearly touching.

"_Yes._"

Mr. Johansson's face turned a deep red, and he looked to his fellow courtsmen for support, but they paid him no mind. They were instead whispering among themselves, and nodding at the King, content and loyal expressions on their faces. Short Mr. Johansson was on his own.

The King stood up straight, facing the rest of the court.

"I appeal to the rest of you to judge this man fairly, but take my heed: I am still the king, and I consider this man my own son. What has been said is true, and without him and his thieving past, our daughter, your princess, would not here today. I believe he is worthy of a second chance."

He turned back to Rapunzel and Flynn, Rapunzel beaming up at her father, her green eyes shining. She quickly enveloped him into a hug.

"Thank you, Daddy." She whispered.

The King's eyes sparkled with affection as he smoothed down his petite daughter's spiky brown hair.

"You're welcome, my dear." He said softly. He then looked up at Flynn and reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, and Flynn could do nothing but smile his thanks. There were no words were enough to express the amount of gratitude he felt towards the King for everything he had just done.

The court whispered on for a few more moments before the taller man who had always been close to Mr. Johansson like a leech stood, clearing his throat.

"The court has requested that we examine this so-called scar for ourselves." He said. "While we do not doubt Princess Rapunzel's story, we would like to make our final decision on all aspects of evidence we are presented with."

The King nodded, and Flynn tugged at his shirt, untucking it. He walked closer to the courtsmen, carefully moving aside the bandaging for his broken ribs, wincing in pain as he did so, and showed them what they wanted to see.

And there, right where it had been since that fateful day in the tower, just below his ribcage, was the scar where Gothel's knife had brought Flynn Rider's life to an end.

The taller man came closer to Flynn, bending down to examine the scar. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration and he nodded, mumbling to himself before he looked at Flynn, motioning with his hand at the tender skin.

"Do you mind if I…?" He trailed off, leaving Flynn to fill in the blanks.

"Go ahead." Flynn responded.

The cold fingers of the man grazed the scar, carefully tracing the thin white skin there. He gently poked at it, and rubbed at it to see if it would disappear, and even scratched at it with his fingernail to see if it would chip. Flynn couldn't help but feel as though he were an animal at an auction, and he bit his lip to keep back the yelps of pain and the words that would come with them, words that were sure to not help him at this time.

After a few more prods, the taller man straightened himself back up. Satisfied, he turned back to his fellow courtsmen, walking back to his place to join them. They began to whisper once more, and Flynn gently tucked his shirt back into his black pants.

He turned and met Rapunzel and her father where he had left them, the Queen walking over to join them. Rapunzel gave him an encouraging smile, reaching out to cup his hands in hers. He gave her a smile back, one that seemed to reach his eyes for the first time in a long time.

After what seemed like an eternity in almost complete silence, aside from the inaudible whispers of the court, the taller man finally turned back to face the royal family, and the man who's fate had finally been decided.

"Flynn Rider, please step forward." He said.

Flynn gave one last look at Rapunzel, and took a step forward, his head held high as he looked the taller man in the eye.

"We have weighed the evidence and words brought before this court today, and we have taken to heart what you have said, and we have finally reached the final decision on your punishment, which is to take place immediately following this meeting."

Behind him, he heard Rapunzel gasp, and he felt his heart drop into his stomach. Surely the words "immediately following" could only mean that some form of punishment was on his doorstep, right? He took a deep breath and nodded at the tall man.

"While it is true that you have been quite the headache in the past ten years to this kingdom, we do see that you have, indeed, turned over a new leaf. You have been admirable in your sentencing, despite the fact that you _did _escape with the aid of Princess Rapunzel, and you have understood and accepted your crimes as a man of honor, willing to take the punishment for them, whatever that punishment might be. For this reason, this court has decided to offer you a full pardon. Eugene Fitzherbert, you are free to go. This court is dismissed."

With a squeal of delight, Flynn – _Eugene_ – was met by Rapunzel with the biggest hug he had ever received. She threw herself into his arms, nearly knocking him flat on his back in the process.

"Eugene!" She said, her voice full of glee. "You did it! You're free! You're not going to hang!"

Eugene felt almost lightheaded, he was so stunned. He wrapped his arms around Rapunzel, tightly holding her close to him. He could hardly believe what had just happened, the words that now echoed through his mind sending him reeling. After a few moments, Rapunzel pulled away from him, and in front of her parents and the entire court, kissed him, her arms snaking around his neck. He returned it, full of passion, full of pure, absolute love for this girl, for this amazing girl that had brought him back to life. Oh, how he loved her!

They pulled apart, and Eugene finally let the reality of the situation sink in as he laid his forehead against Rapunzel's, their eyes never leaving one another.

Flynn Rider had died so that Eugene Fitzherbert could live.

And now Eugene Fitzherbert would make sure that he would not have died in vain.

* * *

**So yeah, a little short, but I'm quite happy with it. :) I hope it didn't suck, and if it did, _please please please _tell me so I can rewrite it...**

**There's still a little more to go, so stick with me, folks! :D**


	13. Pink Paint

**GUESS WHO JUST GOT THE EMAIL THAT HER COPY OF TANGLED SHIPPED TODAY THROUGH AMAZON? ROBIN DID!**

**I KNOW this took forever, but I've been sort of busy lately, working extra hours at work in order to save up for my trip to Georgia and Florida next week! :D So I've been pretty stressed out, with two big papers for English to write on top of everything else, so you get the point. So I apologize. **

**I've also been wrangling with myself about rewriting chapter twelve, because while I was pretty happy with it, I was sort of disappointed in at the same time. But I decided to keep it, and it's all good. **

**This chapter isn't really that long, because really, it's just wrapping everything up. ;) There's one more "chapter" but this is the last one for the story. The next is an acknowledgment chappie. **

*****Read all the way to the end for a special announcement!*****

**CHAPTER SONG: "Terrified" by Katherine McPhee and Zachary Levi**

**_Disclaimer: I do own Tangled coloring books...does that count?_**

* * *

**Hangman's Noose**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll_

...oOo...

Prince Eugene Fitzherbert.

Alright, so technically it was Prince _Consort _Eugene Fitzherbert, but either way, it had a nice ring to it that Eugene could easily get used to. And again either way it meant that he was officially of status to court and someday marry Princess Rapunzel, so he was happy with the title.

He could barely believe how much his life had changed in just a few short weeks. He had stolen the Lost Princess's crown, hidden in a tower, found a girl with seventy feet of blonde, glowing, healing hair and showed her the world, escaped from prison (twice), gotten stabbed, _died_, came back to life, found out that the girl he had fallen in love with was the Lost Princess herself, took her back to the kingdom, was sentenced to hang, spent nearly a week in jail, got the crap nearly beaten out of him, came incredibly close to hanging, was saved by a Princess, was pardoned for his crimes as Flynn Rider, and was now Prince Consort Eugene Fitzherbert.

Yeah. It had been quite the ride.

It had been nearly two weeks since his pardoning, and since then, he had been taking all the necessary lessons involved in actually being a Prince Consort, including Corona history, politics, etiquette (of which he promised he would do better in), to name a few, and he even a dance class with Rapunzel (in which he happened to be doing quite well, despite poor Rapunzel's learning to dance in shoes and constantly stepping on his toes).

His injuries from his stay in the prison were beginning to heal, the bruises finally beginning to fade into normal skin, the scrapes and the cut above his left eye finally healing, leaving no signs of a scar. His broken ribs still hurt like hell, but they too were healing, slowly but surely. He had visits with the royal physician daily in order to check the healing process and to get his bandages adjusted and changed, but all in all, he couldn't really complain. He was just happy to be alive.

And while his days had become filled with lessons, today was different. Today, Rapunzel had what she called "important business" to attend to, and for whatever reason, he was to accompany her. Not that he minded, of course; any time he got to spend with Rapunzel was precious.

As he neared her bedroom door, he could hear her humming from inside, and he could hear the soft rattle of something hitting the marble floor, or perhaps touching it, and he quietly put a hand on the doorknob, and opened it, poking his head in.

"Blondie?" He said.

Rapunzel squeaked in surprise at her visitor, nearly toppling off of the stool she was standing on top of, stretching as far as she could on her tiptoes, trying to reach one area of the upper wall with her paintbrush. Eugene hurried over just as she lost her balance and fell, thankfully right into his arms. Paint went everywhere, the jar she was holding falling to the floor with a shatter, and the paintbrush she had been holding somehow found itself in his hair, pink paint dripping down onto his face and clothes.

She grinned up at him as he gently set her on her feet and wiped a smudge of blue off of her cheek.

"The things you do with paint," he chuckled.

Rapunzel shrugged, giggling. "At least I never tried to eat it!" She said, reaching out a hand towards his now goopy pink hair, taking the paintbrush from it. "We should probably get this out before it dries."

Eugene looked over her shoulder, spotting the basin of water in the corner, and he crossed over to it, first dipping his hands in the cool water to clean his sticky fingertips. He grabbed the towel that hung over the mirror, and soaked it with the water before scrubbing at his hair until it turned brown once more, all traces of pink now gone. Rapunzel came up behind him as he finished scrubbing the paint from his face, wrapping her arms around his midsection and hugging him close, burying her face in his back.

"I love you." She whispered.

He smiled, turning around to face her. "I love you, too." He said. He lightly pressed a kiss to her lips. "Now what was it you had to do today that could not be carried out without me?"

"Oh!" Rapunzel said, surprised. "I almost forgot! I was so wrapped up in finishing my latest painting, I lost track of time." She grabbed his hand. "Max is probably wondering where we are! We've got to go!"

"With paint all over us!" He tried to protest, but he knew it was useless. Wherever it was they were going, they were going just as they were, no matter the assortment of colors that adorned Rapunzel's simple yellow dress, and the black vest that resembled his favorite blue one. She pulled him down the hall, down towards the stables.

They were met by Maximus, who neighed in delight as Rapunzel neared him, letting go of Eugene's hand. She reached out and scratched the horse behind his ears, his favorite place, and he rubbed his head against her shoulder, and Eugene rolled his eyes. Sometimes he got the impression that Maximus was more bloodhound than stallion.

"Who's a good boy!" Rapunzel cooed. "Did you get all the stuff I asked you to?"

Max nodded, turning to trot to the other end of the stables. He returned with a shovel between his teeth, which he promptly tossed in Eugene's direction. Eugene fumbled to catch it before it clattered to the ground, and Max let out a laugh of a whinny, and Eugene glared at him.

"Bad horse," he mumbled underneath his breath.

Rapunzel did seem to notice. She was still talking to Max.

"Is everything else ready to go?" She asked.

Max tossed his head in another nod, and once again turned, grabbing something from his stall. It was Eugene's old satchel, bulging mysteriously, and she smiled as she bounced over to take Eugene's free hand again.

"Thank you, Max!"

With that, she pulled him out of the stables, and down the cobblestone pathway.

"Where are we going, Blondie?"

"To the garden!" Rapunzel replied. "You'll see when we get there!"

Eventually they stumbled into the lush garden, and Rapunzel stopped, letting his hand drop as she placed her own hands on her hips, scanning the area in front of her. Eventually she chose a nice, shady spot beneath the pretty weeping willow tree at the far end of the garden, towards the back wall of the palace.

"There!" She said, pointing. "Over there! Underneath the willow." She bounced over to stand beneath the tall tree, the willow branches swaying melodiously in the warm breeze, holding her hands above her head. Eugene smiled as he walked over to join her, still clutching the shovel in one hand.

"Here!" Rapunzel pointed to a spot away from the trunk.

Eugene was confused. "Here what?"

"Dig here!" Rapunzel said.

"Why?"

"You'll see! Just dig!"

Eugene did as he was told and dug the shovel into the earth. Eventually a hole was created, just about two feet deep, and Eugene stopped digging, leaning against the shovel, wiping away the sweat on his forehead.

"What, exactly, are you planning on doing with this hole here, Blondie?" He asked.

Rapunzel grabbed the satchel at her side, and opened it. From it, she pulled the nearly seventy feet of brown hair that had once been a beautiful golden blonde, that had once held healing powers, that had once changed his world. She smiled sadly at the locks.

"I think it's time we did something with this." She said softly. "Flynn Rider died, and so did a part of me when my hair was cut. I think...maybe it's time to move on."

Gently she knelt to the ground and laid the lengths of hair in the shallow hole, coiling it around like a snake. Noticing a few small violet blooms at the base of willow trunk, she quickly plucked them and placed them in the coil of hair, just as the little girls who had braided her hair on her birthday had.

She felt Eugene lay a gentle hand on her shoulder, and she turned her face to look at him, and he smiled down at her. She placed her small hand on his, and squeezed, allowing herself to lay a cool cheek on their entwined fingers. After a moment, she took one last look at the hair in the hole and slowly got to her feet.

"Are you ready?" Eugene asked.

She nodded.

"I'm ready."

With the utmost care, Eugene began filling back in the hole. He gently patted down the soil with the head of the shovel.

"There." He said.

Rapunzel hugged his arm, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Eugene." She said.

He kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome." He whispered. "Now, can we go inside so I can change out of these pink clothes?"

Rapunzel giggled. "Sure." She said.

Together, they began to walk back towards the castle, hand in hand, leaving the willow tree and the buried hair behind, and as they did, they both couldn't help but feel that maybe, just maybe, a small amount of finality had been accomplished.

"Hey, Eugene?"

"Yeah, Blondie?"

"I love you."

Eugene smiled and stopped, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close.

"I love you, too, Rapunzel."

With that, he captured her lips with his own.

* * *

**COMING SOON TO FANFICTION (dot) NET FROM DOODLEGIRLL:**

**"Heaven Can Wait" - Sequel to _Hangman's Noose_:**

_"Maybe he was just new to this, but Eugene was fairly certain that an assassination attempt on his first day as Prince Consort could not be a good sign." _

**I still have my chapter of acknowledgements to go, so stay tuned. All due thank yous will be made then. :) **


	14. Acknowledgments

As promised! Here's the acknowledgments chapter!

I KNOW this took forever, but seriously, life has gotten pretty damn hectic. I've only been back in town from my vacation to Daytona Beach a week now, and I've had to jump right back into college AND work. And to top it off, I have a wedding to prepare for in which I am the maid of honor, prom in two weeks (and I _still need a dress_), choir practice, church, and pretty little panic attacks almost daily due to my anxiety disorder. So yeah, Robi's life is pretty crazy, but hey, I love it. Can't say that I don't! :D (The panic attacks I could do without...)

Anyway, some BIG thanks are in order for this story! Seriously! I went through with a pen and paper and was writing down everyone's names and putting tally marks next to them for every review I got, but I found myself getting so confused I couldn't even see straight, not to mention I lost half of the notes and tally marks...completely by accident, but it happened...

So I just wanted to say right here, right now, THANK YOU much to every single person who ever took the time to review this story! Never once, when I started writing this story completely on a whim back in December, did I expect this kind of feedback! You have no idea how much of a confidence boost (something I've been in desperate need of as of late) this was for me! You have no idea how much your reviews meant to me, not only as a young woman from a completely personal perspective ("Somebody actually _likes _my writing!") but also as a growing, developing writer trying to find her niche in between the walls of her reality and her dreams.

There are a few people, however, I would like to personally give a huge hug and shout out to (in no particular order):

**Sophie**, for teaching me everything she knows about writing angst and pain; **Nisan**, for going to see "Tangled" with me the first time, and for going total fangirl with me over Flynn, and for buying me a cast iron frying pan for Christmas; **Danielle (aka _AIOFanNCRM_/chuckirvingbartowski)**, for sending me beautiful Tangled Panini stickers, and for all her kind words through this site, her reviews, and through tumblr; **Cyril (aka tanglicious)**, for making an AMAZING audiobook of this fanfic (Continue? Please? Pretty pretty pretty please? With a huge cherry and Flynn Rider on top? Pretty please?) and for making me smile through her blog; **_pixie-blue_**, **_xwittychickx/pikapelt_**, **_sheep1215_**, and **_thenumber8xD_** for their AMAZING artwork on my fanart request (as you will never know the level of inspiration your art supplied me with!); **_oasis1314_** for your AMAZING fanvid trailer for this fanfic (because it was epic, just saying); **Kathy (_Kathy Ann_)** and **Tabby (_Tabi 'Chi' Moon_)** for providing me with hilarious suggestions and just overall fun conversations (including one in the post office parking lot; Tabby, you know what I'm talking about); **Lacey** for all those early Friday mornings going with me to the podiatrist (even though you hate feet more than I hate going to the doctors) and for grinning and bearing it when I ranted about this fanfiction; and finally, **Logan**, my amazing boyfriend of nearly two years who only just learned of my fanfic writing a week ago and has taken it upon himself to read ALL OF MY FANFICS, including this one. You provided more inspiration you know, especially when you held me all those nights I had panic attacks whilst trying to write this story. I love you. :)

Also, I'd like to thank my two cats, **Jake **and **Meeko **(Yes, he is named after the raccoon from _Pocahontas_, and yes, he DOES eat any and everything) for not only the endless hours of entertainment, but also for keeping my feet warm this winter as I wrote this. I promise I'll feed you more wet food from now on.

A shout out to Michigan Bipolar Weather, because without you, I probably wouldn't have holed myself in my cozy house for nearly five months to write this story, and for making some of my nights at work slow so I could brainstorm.

In terms of musical inspiration, I have the amazing talents of **Skillet**, **Imogen Heap**, **Lifehouse**, **Breaking Benjamin **mostly, but I also have **Linkin Park**, **Seether**, **Evanescence**, **Kelly Clarkson**, **Don Henley**, **Daughtry**, **P!nk**, **Journey**, **Avalon**, **The Script**, and the cast of **_Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Edition _**to thank!

I'd also like to thank my iPod, named the Awesomeness, for being just what it's name suggests (awesome) and sticking with me throughout this whole ordeal. :)

And, as the whipped cream on top of the sundae, I also have hot herbal tea; Dayquil and Nyquil; my diary; my various pens and notebooks; my hair clippies and hairbrush; mangoes; Doritos; Nutella; peanut butter; smartwater; chocolate; coffee; bubblebath; mint; cupcakes; snow; Coca Cola; my glasses; Ibuprofin, Advil; my trusty Converse; my cell phone (both of them, named Bernadette and Merwin); fuzzy socks; Skullcandy headphones; duct tape; band aids; eyedrops; my security blanket, teddy bear and stuffed Simba (for moral support), Walmart and Meijer's (for providing me with Tangled coloring books); and rechargeable batteries to thank for making this story possible. :)

And finally, I'd like to give a big shout out to Disney, whom without, this fanfic would not have been possible. :)

Look for the sequel soon! I hope to have it out by May first, under the working title of "Heaven Can Wait."

all again!

-hugs-


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